The Diario Libre reported on Saturday that one in five homes in Santo Domingo is not assured its daily sustenance. According to a study conducted by the World Food Program and the IADB, 19.8% of the homes in Santo Domingo run the risk of not eating on a daily basis. The report covers five areas of the country considered to be most vulnerable, with the capital considered to be the third highest food risk, in spite of the fact that families will spend 60% of their income on groceries. This figure, however, is significantly lower in the National District than the average for the five areas studied, which accounts for 72.1%. In the study, the areas known as “bateyes” represent the most critical problems, with 25.3% of the population unsure of obtaining their next meal. Of those living in the West, the area along the frontier in the north of the country, 22.3% cannot guarantee daily food intake. The figure calculated for the border area in the south was 13.4% and in the rural areas of El Seibo and Monte Plata the estimate was 11.6%. The research surveyed 1,600 homes.