Zayn Malik Urges British PM to Give Poor Kids Free School Meals: 'I Know What That Shame Feels Like'

Nicholas Hunt/Getty Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik is using his platform for good.

The British singer wrote an open letter to the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, asking the newly appointed head of state to ensure that his upcoming budget includes free school meals for all children on Universal Credit (which, in the U.K., is a monthly government payment to help with living costs).

Malik, 29, relied on free school lunches while growing up in inner-city Bradford, West Yorkshire, and wrote in his note that he wants Sunak's help in making it so that "no child living in poverty misses out on a hot nutritious meal at school especially since that school meal may be the only hot meal they receive all day."

The One Direction alum continued with statistics that emphasized the dire situation facing hundreds of thousands of British children: in September, 4 million kids experienced food poverty, and there are also 800,000 children who do not qualify for free school meals despite living in poverty, he wrote.

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"These children are suffering from lack of concentration, some even resorting to stealing food from school canteens because they are so hungry but can't afford to buy lunch," he wrote. "They are also feeling shame which is directly impacting their physical and mental health."

Malik, whose Instagram post sharing the letter amassed more than 2 million likes, also explained that the cause was personal, as he knows "what that shame feels like," having been the recipient of free school meals growing up.

"I personally experienced the stigma surrounding food insecurity," he wrote. "My hope is that in writing this letter we can all ensure that no child ever has to experience this hunger and stigma again as my experience is not unique; it is a struggle that many children in England are sadly going through right now."

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The musician—who welcomed daughter Khai in September 2020 with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid—said he hopes the government "does what's right and makes the changes that are needed," as he believes child hunger is "not inevitable," and transcends politics.

"No parent should have to make impossible decisions like whether to buy food, turn on the heating, or go into debt," he wrote. "Knowing that their children are getting a good lunch at school would be a huge relief to parents who are struggling. These pressures will only get worse as food and energy prices keep rising."

Sunak will announce the details of the government's fiscal statement on Nov. 17.

Food insecurity has become a hot-button issue in the United States in recent years, and in August, California became the country's first state to offer free school meals to all public school students. About 1 in 6 six children in the U.S. experienced food security in 2021, according to Feeding America.