Global Program India reaches out to the social excluded with Covid-19 Relief in Bihar

The distribution of Covid-19 dry ration kits, containing essential commodities including Rice, Wheat Flour, Chick-pea, Pulse, Sugar, Mustard Oil, Soybean, Salt, and Tea was done at Nawada and Supaul district of Bihar.

The importance of dry ration kits becomes more pertinent in the current situation when people are suffering from acute food insecurity. In the wake of the pandemic when all economic activities were ceased, beyond the immediate threat of coronavirus, the economic impact is far deadlier, particularly for the Mahadalits, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes people, etc in rural areas of Bihar

460 most marginalized families belonging to the Widows, Person with Disability (Divyang), and women as only earners were supported by Caritas India BMZ-Global Program India funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Government of Germany, and Caritas Germany. Under the Covid-19 Humanitarian Response, the programme has reached physically and socially neglected or excluded families with the support of the Bihar Water Development Society (BWDS), Forum for Social Initiatives (FSI), and Muzaffarpur Diocesan Social Service Society (MDSSS) partners in Bihar.

BMZ Global Programme India also provided 360 hygiene kits including N-95 masks and sanitisers to the communities to follow Covid appropriate behavior in their day-to-day dealing.

During the distribution, the programme staff shared the importance and use of masks and sanitizer. They also informed the community about precautionary measured while using Sanitizer, especially staying far and not being in close contact with fire. The community also expressed that this Covid response really served the need and aspirations of the distressed families.

They shared that the Government has provided some quantity of cereals, but many families had not received the required food items from the Government. They also liked the quality of the items distributed, especially the nutrition and hygiene.

The dry ration kit and hygiene kit aim to benefit the socially isolated and excluded communities in the target areas. Identifying the neediest in the covid times was a difficult task but BWDS, FSI, and MDSSS partners have exhibited a great deal of commitment to select the most distressed families in these covid times.

Under the Covid Humanitarian Response, around 80% of the distribution was done for the families belonging to widows and persons with disabilities.

The complete distribution programme was administered by the partners and Caritas India personnel along with other local public representatives.