The COVID 19 pandemic has brought the entire nation to a halt. COVID-19 is turned into a calamity, and the entire world is facing its serious impact. The novel coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an unimaginable loss to the global economy and the losing human lives have been unprecedented in an era of global peace.

The Global Report on Food Crises released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Food Programme and 14 other organisations warns that Global hunger could become the next big impact of the pandemic.

The lockdown has triggered huge economic loss and left almost 12 crore people in India jobless mainly from the unorganised sector. In Bihar, the lockdown has brought tragic in terms of humanitarian and other crises.

Millions of migrant workers, daily labourers, and daily wage-earners of Bihar have lost their jobs since the lockdown. Most of them come from the scheduled caste, scheduled tribes and the other backward classes (SC, ST and OBC), making up more than 70% of the population of India.

These deprived and neglected sections of the society have been victimized, abused and exploited in a myriad way.

Hunger is deadlier than any other disease. The potent vaccine for hunger is not a free supply of grains and pulses, but sustainable employment. The coronavirus pandemic lockdown has brought hunger to millions of people across the country and dried up their livelihood and income. The migrant workers, daily labourers, daily wage earners, poor and workers are now going hungry and facing starvation.

“We have to survive, we are running away from the coronavirus, but lack of food must not kill us, we must not go hungry,” says Suresh Saday, a returnee migrant from Surat.

The government, individuals and humanitarian organizations are distributing food to people, but it is not enough. Thousands of Dalits are lining up twice a day for bread and fried vegetables to keep hunger at bay. At one side, the rich are anxious about the coronavirus, whereas, the poor are frightened of hunger. The rich fear that if they go out, the coronavirus will kill them and the poor is fearful that if they stay at home, the hunger will perish them. What an irony of life!

Prabhat (A wing of Patna Jesuit Society) and partner of Caritas India is implementing Roshni Suposhan programme in 10 Dalit dominated villages of Madhubani district of Bihar. The organisation works exclusively with the Musahar community in the field of education, community development and women empowerment since 1997. Ever since the lockdown, Prabhat has been engaged exclusively with the Musahar community at different levels to mitigate the suffering of the people. The organisation has distributed relief materials (dry ration) in 58 Musahar Villages in 5 Blocks of Madhubani and Darbhanga Districts covering 489 Musahar families spread across 36 Panchayaths. The families of Migrants, Widows, Physically / mentally challenged persons, and chronically ill people were selected who do not have any source of income.

The local MLA Mr. Sameer Kumar Mahaseth and Mukhiyas of several panchayaths helped extended their support in the identification and distribution of the relief materials. The awareness sessions were conducted on the importance of social distancing, washing hands, wearing a mask, etc. The cleanliness drive was undertaken in villages and ensured that use mask, soap, sanitizers as announced by the government.

Though Government has announced numerous relief packages and schemes for BPL community at ground zero but these facilities does not reach to the needy and deserving people. Prabhat team is helping people to avail government schemes specifically announced during the COVID 19 pandemic. Since many of the schemes have to be availed through banks, a survey was conducted in 49 Musahar villages to identify the problems of the people and help the returnee migrants to register themselves in the Block. The findings of this survey will be used for advocacy with the government. Team has also ensured the implementation of MGNREGA Scheme in the majority of the Musahar villages.