Long-term package needed: ActionAid

Terming Covid-19 is a challenge to life and livelihood, ActionAid Bangladesh and some grassroots development organisations suggested the government to go for long term package to ensure food safety and employment.

They also suggested to take suitable initiatives for those living in remote areas like char, haor and hill-tracts as their needs may vary from the mainland.

Through a video conference yesterday, ActionAid Bangladesh and 14 associate grassroots development organisations placed nine recommendations to the government to ensure proper distribution of relief, healthcare and sanitation facilities to marginalised people.

Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said it is not only that people are being infected and dying from Covid-19, but also affecting the country's economy, society and health.

"It's a challenge of life and livelihood," she said, adding that its widespread impact is spreading to remote areas such as chars, haors and hills.

In a press release, the organisations said the marketplace has shrunk due to transport lockdowns and regional lockdowns. Farmers are unable to sell their crops. Inadequate supply of raw materials has led to fears of further decline in production. If this goes on, famine may grasp the country in the coming days.

Therefore, issues like ensuring food and daily essentials for people, need to be taken seriously, in addition to implementing the lockdown.

They said the relief distribution process at the local level needs to be coordinated between government and non-government organisations.

The NGOs observed that day labourers in urban and rural areas, who were working in various informal sectors have become unemployed.

The organisations said that Boro farming has been in dire straits in terms of harvesting, bringing it to the shed and then to the government warehouse due to the lockdown. They said, the special measures taken by the government to provide labour for harvesting paddy should be extended to more areas.

The ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director said they have taken some short-term initiatives to help the marginalised people, working along with the local administration and through some 14 NGOs.

"To keep the day labourers and marginalised people at home, the government should deliver them food for at least two weeks so that they can stay home and maintain social distance," Farah Kabir said.

The NGOs observed that there is a lack of awareness among the people in remote areas.

In order to raise awareness among them, community radio, television and other media should be used.

They said the government should provide coronavirus testing kits at all district hospitals and ensure accessibility of the marginalised people from remote areas.

To protect perishable goods such as milk, eggs and fish from damage, these products should be included in the list of relief, they said.