Food aid for urban poor, too, as coronavirus shutdown leaves them with no job

The government will provide the poor in the municipalities and metropolises with food assistance as they are now jobless amid the nationwide shutdown to stem a coronavirus outbreak.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman made the announcement in a video conference with officials on Monday as the government had already begun distributing rice and money among the poor in the rural areas.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday ordered officials to make lists of people from the working class who now cannot live hand to mouth during the shutdown.

 

Enamur said the government took the decision to include the urban poor in the lists because many MPs and ministers had complained they had not been receiving aid for distribution in municipality and metropolitan areas.

The government had allocated 24,700 tonnes rice and Tk 75.8 million for assistance of the poor after the announcement of the shutdown on Mar 24, according to the state minister.

“We allocated 6,500 tonnes of rice and Tk 13.1 million again after the deputy commissioners said on Mar 28 that the first allocations were running out,” he said.

More rice and money will be given if needed, he added.

“I hope coronavirus will go away within Apr 4, the last day of the shutdown, and everything will return to normal,” Enamur said.