Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting nearly every person on the planet, in almost every country.

While the threat of Covid-19 continues, measures to stop the spread of the virus could lead to even greater levels of hunger as food becomes even harder to access.

Poor communities rarely benefit from state support and most rely on a hand-to-mouth existence provided by cash-in-hand work. Many will not have savings, and if they’re unable to earn money because of the economic crisis and lockdown restrictions, they will quite literally have nothing to eat.

People living in crowded camps, like Syrian refugees in Jordan or Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, are already some of the most vulnerable people in the world.  They struggle to access basic medical care, nutritious food, clean water or soap, all vital to protecting themselves from Covid-19. With little space for social distancing, this makes them particularly vulnerable to coronavirus.

Coronavirus crisis in India

In India, a second wave of coronavirus is having a devastating impact.

With hospitals overrun and oxygen supplies falling short of demand, thousands of people are not able to receive potentially life-saving treatment.

Several cities have imposed lockdowns and curfews, which have a knock-on effect for people’s livelihoods, with the poorest and most marginalised communities being hit hardest.

The most urgent needs in India right now are:

• supporting India’s health system with PPE, isolation centres and medical care facilities
• giving vulnerable families the means to protect themselves with water, soap, handwashing stations and information
• ensuring the Covid-19 crisis doesn’t mean people go hungry and children become malnourished