Lockdown and food ration

The government has decided to impose a nine-day countrywide lockdown from May 8. However, before finaIising the decision, it should give serious thought to a report by an international humanitarian agency that shows the dreadful state of hunger in the world in 2020 and predicts that the situation might worsen this year. It has identified the coronavirus pandemic and conflicts as the main causes of the growing food insecurity confronting the common people in developing countries.

There are two major differences as regards the Covid-19 pandemic between last year and this year. In the previous year, countries tackled the crisis in a hopeless situation when treatment for the coronavirus was not available and governments and welfare organisations helped the people with food rations and cash hand-outs during the prolonged shutdowns. This year the government has so far not announced either food rations or cash hand-outs for the needy during the planned lockdown. The gap left by the government is not being adequately filled by NGOs. It is being feared that during the lockdown daily-wagers and their dependents might face starvation. The decision-makers should also take into account the reality that more than 75% people in the country cannot afford to buy food ration for even a week. Lack of work for so many days and the weak purchasing power would be devastating for the labour class.

The Global Network Against Food Crises, whose report has been mentioned above, says more than 155 million people faced acute food insecurity last year and the number might rise if remedial measures are not taken. Acute food insecurity has been deteriorating since 2017, and in 2020 it touched the lowest level. The agency has been preparing its report for the past five years. Acute food insecurity is a term used for describing a situation when lives or livelihoods are threatened due to lack of food. Should it not prick the world’s conscience that starvation threatens so many; and people are dying in large numbers from Covid-19 even when the cure is available?

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2021.

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