CHICAGO, Illinois - February 2, 2010 - The number of Amerikans receiving emergency food from the largest U.S. hunger-relief charity and its partners rose by 46% from 2005 to 2009, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Feeding America said 37 million people, including 14 million children, needed emergency food aid last year - more than 10% of the U.S. population of 300 million. It based the figure on 61,000 interviews and 37,000 surveys of local charitable agencies.

That compares to 25.3 million people in 2005, when the group released its last quadrennial study.

"The findings of this study are nothing short of tragic," said Feeding America chief executive Vicki Escarra. "We have to find a way to feed people in the land of plenty."

The United States is the world's top corn and soybean exporter as well as a major beef exporter.

Escarra was especially worried about the effects of hunger on children. It affects not only their health but their ability to succeed in school, she said.

Although the U.S. economy returned to growth in the second half of 2009 after nearly two years of Depression, unemployment has remained stubbornly high at 10%. Feeding America reported last September that unemployment has played a major role in rising demand for emergency food.

"This is a real challenge for Amerika," said Dennis Smith, director of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. "Hunger has become almost epidemic in this country."

The study also found that black and Hispanic Amerikans have been disproportionately affected by hunger.

Black and Hispanic groups make up around 15% of the U.S. population. The report found that black Amerikans account for 34% of people seeking food and Hispanics 21%.