14 percent in low-income group have no food left
Some 14 percent of the country's low-income group people saw their food stock turned down to empty amid countrywide shutdown enforced by the government to contain coronavirus spread, according to a Brac survey report.
Besides, the extreme poverty rate in the country also increased by 60 percent amid the emerging situation, Brac said, issuing a press release on Friday.
The survey was conducted on 2,675 people belong to low-income group in all 64 districts from March 31 to April 5.
Low-income people are suffering great losses in their earnings since the enforcement of shutdown, it said.
Brac Advocacy for Social Change Programme conducted the survey with support from its Microfinance and Urban Development Programme as well as Partnership Strengthening Unit.
According to the survey, the average household income of the respondents was Tk 14,599 before the pandemic.
Of the respondents, 93 percent respondents reported a decline in income due to the outbreak.
In March 2020, their average income stood at Tk 3,742, which represents an average 75 percent decline from their family income of last month.
The report also said due to the shutdown, 72 percent respondents reported job losses or reduced work opportunities.
Eight percent of the respondents who are still employed have not received their payments, it said.
Non-agricultural wage labour experienced 77 percent more loss of income than wage labourers in agriculture sector.
A total of 51 percent of rickshaw-pullers, 58 percent factory workers, 66 percent hotel or restaurant workers, and 62 percent day labourers in non-agricultural sectors reported their income had reduced to zero in the current month.
The survey also found that most people did not have any idea about the directive that one should not directly go to any health facility with symptoms of the infection.
"Only 29 percent said they would ask the patient to call the helpline," it said.
Recommendations
The survey came up with a number of recommendations to overcome the crisis.
It said large-scale awareness campaigns on prevention, management and treatment should run on TV and social media.
"Food assistance must immediately reach the millions of households across the country suffering from acute food shortage. Otherwise they will be compelled to leave home to earn their living in violation of the social distancing measures, increasing the risk of spreading coronavirus," it said.
The survey finds that people who have returned to villages from urban centres are not enrolled in any social safety net programmes and so need proper delivery mechanisms to get food aid immediately.
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