With proper marketing, enough funds and donations can be received to carry out this massive task.
ISLAMABAD: Months have gone by since the start of the Covid-19 spread in Pakistan. More than 10,000 people have been infected, and the start of Ramazan has brought about newfound tensions between Islamic leaders and doctors. The government is trying its best to mediate between different parties in order to cater to as many people as they can. They have introduced relief packages and initiated food and ration distribution programmes.
However, there is still a vast majority of people at the end of the food chain who are living in a state of misery and agony. Not only are these people struggling to ward off the disease but they also have to face starvation due to the lack of food supplies. It is because of the lockdown that these daily wagers are unable to earn and feed their families. The problem is that a vast number of people aren’t eligible for these packages owing to different unresolved reasons. Most of these people, which also include migrants, do not possess any form of identification. They aren’t registered with the state and for the purpose of accountability the government isn’t able to provide for them.
There are many NGOs and social activists who are distributing food at random to those in need. They are trying to reach the slums of the country so that everyone could receive a bag of ration. It is important that the government work with them by creating a large unified body while pooling in resources to help the poor. This will expand the scale of the work each organisation is doing and reduce the amount of effort required. With proper marketing, enough funds and donations can be received to carry out this massive task.
Saad Rafiq
Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2020.
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