COVID-19 has put Bangladesh into an unforeseen challenging situation that led the Government of Bangladesh to ask for shutdown of all economic activities except for emergency services and urge people to restrict mobility and stay at home.  People who earn daily wages have been hit particularly hard by this pandemic. In rural remote areas like Satkhira District, women headed households having no food storage, so they are somehow manage a day for every meal—a sign of food poverty that they had not seen in a decade.

Analyzing the situation, under the Development Program of United Nations, UNDP has provided 870 number of Food Basket through Financial support of United Group & Implemented by Shushilan to the 864 number of Women Beneficiaries in the Kaligonj and Shyamnagar Upazilla under Satkhira district ‍and for the 06 Union workers‍. Among the 864 number of beneficiaries, 432 beneficiaries in the Kaligonj Upazilla and 432 beneficiaries in the Shyamnagar Upazilla according to the 12 Unions in each Upazilla.

The Food baskets contained all the consumer goods mention below-

1. Rice 12 kg, 2. Flour 6 kg, 3. Potato 2 kg, 4. Dal ( Mushur) 2 kg, 5. Sugur 01 kg, 6. Salt 01kg, 7. Soya bean Oil 01kg, 8.Cheera 01kg and 9. Soap 02nos

Distributions were organized at union level’s micro points with maintaining Social/physical distancing.

Beneficiaries were badly in need those relief, hopefully that could rescue their emergency food security.

Quotes from Women Beneficiaries:

A beneficiary of SWAPNO named Anjuara Parvin from Tarali Union in Kaligonj Upazilla says, “I could not make any income because I could not get out. As a result, there was no food in the house. Neighbors did not want to lend money, the shopkeepers was not giving any more food on loan. I was having hard time eating during Ramadan. Now I am very happy to get these foods, because there is no shortage of food until Eid.”

A SWAPNO beneficiary named Hamida of Buri Goalini Union under Shyamnagar Upazila was crying after getting the food basket. She is an abandoned woman. She has one daughter. She was crying and said,” I am living with daily income. Due to lock down I cannot get out from home. As a result, there is no income for a long time. There was no food aid from the Union Parishad either. The food aid will help in fasting and celebrating Eid during this disaster.”

Please click bellow links to read the news published in the different online news portals of Satkhira:

https://www.dainikdristipat.com/?p=316263

https://www.dainikdristipat.com/?p=316852

https://patradoot.net/2020/05/14/300425.html

https://www.dainikdristipat.com/?p=316251

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