Famished citizens gather around free meal centres
The right to dignified living is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens under the constitution, however as the inflation battered, low-income populace is forced to queue up outside free meal centers, dignified survival has been reduced to a sardonic oxymoron.
While the recent wave of inflation has unanimously altered consumption patterns across socio-economic backgrounds, those affected the worst are the low-income citizens, who amidst soaring rents, utility bills, petrol rates and food prices are unable to guarantee three meals a day for themselves and their family members and are therefore increasingly turning towards free meal centers for survival.
Shazia, a widow who works as a cleaner at a private institution, has a family of three to feed. “My daily wages are insufficient for arranging three meals a day for my family, therefore I have obtained a food card from a charity organization,” said Shazia, who felt that the precarious state of the country’s economy had pushed many low-income citizens towards free meal centers.
Similar to Shazia, Naveed, another daily wager, visiting a free meal center, earns only Rs1200 per day. “If I buy food from a hotel during breaks, how will I pay for my other household expenses?”, questioned Naveed.
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While some needy citizens are fortunate enough to find tables at the centers during mealtimes, others like Ibrahim, have to stand in long queues for hours before turning home empty handed. “There is a swarm of people outside the centers because of which I have to stand in a queue for hours waiting for my turn,” whined Ibrahim.
According to Arif Lakhani, the trustee of a welfare organization, the current record-breaking level of inflation in the country has drastically reduced the purchasing power of people to an extent where most citizens cannot even afford the bare necessities like food items.
“This has led to a 25 per cent increase in the number of people eating two meals a day at a free meal center, putting immense pressure on the budget of the welfare organizations,” claimed Lakhani, who further informed that the prices of staple ingredients like flour, rice and pulses were increasing with each passing day.
“Spiking input prices have exacerbated the financial stress facing welfare organizations, reducing the amount of food available for the needy, which runs out within 12 hours,” confirmed Imran, a volunteer at another welfare organization.
Some social experts like Ahmed Tayyab predict that rising inflation might derail the relief efforts of free meal centers, who would no longer be capable of serving multiple meals a day to such a large number of people. “Either the free meal centers would have to serve one meal per day only or reduce the number of prepared cauldrons,” alerted Tayyab.
In light of the dilemma facing welfare organizations, Haji Nasir Khan, a social leader, opined that a more holistic approach to combatting food insecurity was the need of the hour. “While charity is an important thread holding the social fabric, it cannot sustain livelihoods for long. Therefore, welfare efforts must aim to create employment opportunities for the destitute so that they too can become self-reliant and lead a dignified life,” addressed Khan.
Speaking to The Express Tribune on the matter, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department said,” We are trying to create employment opportunities for citizens so that they can become self-reliant. Until then, welfare organizations providing free meals to citizens have done us a great favour as they have singlehandedly shared the burden of the government.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2023.