COVID-19 hit urban poor more than those in villages: A Report by Hunger watch

Contents

• 1
• 2 What is the News?
• 3 Key Findings of the Report by Hunger watch:
• 4 About the Report by Hunger watch:

What is the News?

According to a Report by Hunger watch, COVID-19 has impacted India’s urban poor more than those in villages.

Key Findings of the Report by Hunger watch:

• Impact of Covid-19: Urban respondents reported a 15% point worse condition than their rural counterparts across all important parameters.
• Poverty: Covid-19 pandemic has made the urban poor to become more hungry, poorer and with less nutrition than their rural counterparts.
  • A large section of rural residents could overcome the impact of a pandemic due to the availability of foodgrains via the public distribution system(PDS).
• Income: Incomes reduced by half or a quarter for more than half the urban respondents. On the other hand, it was a little over one-third for rural respondents.
• Food: The consumption of grains and pulses were at least 12% points lower for urban respondents.
  • This is because social security schemes have relatively better coverage among the rural poor compared to the urban poor.
• Impact on Vulnerable Groups: The impact of the lockdown was harsh on the vulnerable groups. This includes households headed by single women, households with people having disabilities and transgender people.
• Unemployment: Unemployment persisted for six months after the lockdown. Survey of over 27% of the households show there was no source of income even six months after the imposition of the lockdown.

About the Report by Hunger watch:

• Hunger Watch is a collection of social groups and movements.
• Purpose: The group came together with the purpose of a periodic study of the actual status of hunger, food access and livelihood security. It is especially among various disadvantaged populations in India in the wake of the lockdown in March 2020.
• Data: This is the first collective report based on interviews with households across 11 states. The data was collected in October 2020. There was a comparison later with pre-lockdown levels on the same parameters.

Source: Down To Earth