14pc people have no food: survey

Non-governmental organisation BRAC in its ‘Rapid Perception Survey on COVID19 Awareness and Economic Impact’ carried out between March 31 and April 5 found that 14 per cent of total respondents on average had no food at their home.

In urban areas, the survey found, the rate of respondents having no food was 18 per cent and an overall 29 per cent reported that they had food for one to three days at their home.

The report, released on Friday, said that the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak seemed to have affected 92 per cent respondents.

It said that 77 per cent of wage labourers surveyed in the non-agricultural sector reported their loss of income to be the most significant loss for them compared to 65 percent of wage labourers in the agricultural sector.

BRAC conducted the survey to have an overall impression of the general awareness level among the less-economically fortunate section of the population and to obtain a snapshot of their economic distress.

Over 3,000 respondents from all the districts of the country filled in the survey questionnaires purely based on convenience.

The report said that almost all respondents said that they were aware of COVID-19, and two-thirds of respondents first learned about the virus via television.

More than half of the respondents in urban areas said that they had no idea about how to prevent the spread of the disease.

On the other hand, two-thirds of rural respondents, and some in urban areas, had doubts about treatment options.

The net income loss of those living in urban areas was 69 percent, compared to 80 percent in rural areas.

‘The mass migration of people from urban to rural areas because of the sudden unemployment partially explains the higher impact in rural areas. The excess supply of returnee labourers has significantly lowered the wage rates,’ the executive summary of the survey said.

The survey report further said that prices of agricultural products, mostly milk and dairy products, vegetables and fruits, plummeted while the closure of rural businesses, weekly haats (open marketplaces) and big bazaars also had a negative impact on rural communities.

The report said that about two-thirds of respondents generally supported the announcement of the public holidays while 64 per cent were satisfied with the government’s overall response.

The survey found that only 4 per cent respondents received the emergency relief needed to survive the shock while around 47 per cent thought that food rations would be better than cash-based support from the government.

It said that 36 per cent respondents did not have specific plan on how to cope with the situation.

‘There is a general expectation among one-fourth of the respondents that public relief will be available. Approximately a one-fifth of respondents plan to rely on credit facilities,’ the survey found.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net