Archive for the ‘Migrant Crisis’ Category

County council leader says Quarantine Regulations will pour petrol on the fire of child migrant crisis – The Isle of Thanet News

Kent County Council leader Roger Gough

A desperate situation in Kent will be made worse by the introduction of the governments new 14-day Quarantine Regulations for all new arrivals into the UK, says the County Council

The new regulations come into force on June 8 but make no separate provision for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). This means Kent County Council (KCC) will have to isolate all new UAS children for two weeks but with the authority says with resources already exhausted this will be difficult to achieve.

Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council said:As always, the health and well-being of children in our care is our foremost priority and I am again appealing to the Home Office to intervene.

We are seeking to respond to the new regulations and discharge our responsibilities, however, with extremely limited resources left the expectation is that we will no longer be able to accommodate any further new arrivals within four weeks.

Under the 1989 Children Act, KCC is responsible for all UAS children arriving on Kent shores and has seen record-breaking numbers so far this year, with 65 arriving in May, the highest number in five years, and 17 already in the first four days of June.

KCC is currently caring for a total of 482 under 18s UAS children, more than double the allocation for the authority in the current voluntary National Transfer Scheme. Kent is also responsible for 936 over 18s UAS young people who, under current legislation, will remain in the councils care until they are 25.

Costs to care for these children are currently 200,000 per month, and rising, in excess of the funding provided by central government.

With all four UASC reception centres in Kent now full, the council was able to refit and bring into use additional accommodation for nine children but the arrival of 16 new UAS children on June 3 has already filled this and it is estimated that it would take up to three months to secure additional suitable premises.

To abide by the new Quarantine Regulations, the council now has to double-up children in rooms, breaching Public Health England social distancing guidelines and putting them at risk of infection. This will vacate one 40-bed reception centre to provide single rooms to isolate new arrivals for two weeks but it is possible with the current arrival rates that this limited capacity could quickly be filled.

In his letter to the Home Secretary appealing for intervention sent on May 22, Mr. Gough stated that UAS children care resources in Kent had run out of road.

He said without immediate intervention and the urgent reactivation of the National Transfer Scheme to fairly distribute UAS children nationally, including sufficient funding for receiving local authorities, the situation in Kent would become unimaginable and unsafe for children.

While still awaiting a response to this appeal, KCC and the Local Government Association have continued to petition other UK local authorities and have received some assistance with agreements in place to take a total of nine children so far.

Cllr Gough said:This unthinkable position is not one we want to find ourselves in but without immediate intervention from central government the only resolution available to the council is the Mutual Aid Provision of the 1989 Children Act which allows the council to seek support from other local authorities. But this protracted process will not provide the help we need now.

The quickest solution would be to raise the UAS children Care Leavers Rate, which is currently significantly less than care costs incurred by local authorities, to incentivise other UK councils to bear some of the burden. This is essential to getting the National Transfer Scheme working again.

The new quarantine regulations, coming at a time of a rapid increase in new arrivals, are pouring petrol on the fire. What we need is for central government to support local authorities in resolving this crisis immediately.

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India can build the boat as it sails rough Covid crisis waters, but should know where to go – ThePrint

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India is beginning to show early signs of Covid-19 response fatigue in the initial phase of lockdown 5.0 or Unlock 1.0.

It is quite evident that the public has been bombarded and desensitised (quiet unintentionally) to all Covid-related matters in the past few months. The media, too, appears to be moving on to other stories like the components and contours of the economic stimulus package, or Chinese incursions. Daily media briefings by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have been discontinued, and the government appears to have been drifting from one lockdown to another, without defining the benchmarks of success for each phase or revealing a long-term plan.

The migrant crisis has been so mismanaged that it defies logic and common sense, and reflects a disdain for human lives at their most vulnerable. Even the economic stimulus package had no clear long-term vision.

The government seems to have lost focus, and appears to be leaving key decision-making to states and districts, but has not provided an all-encompassing governance framework to coordinate the response. Some decisions like runningshramiktrains and allowing domestic flights have been taken withoutconsulting statesorrelevant stakeholders,or before guidelines have been issued. There is seemingly no sense of solidarity among states, or a unifying vision.

We welcome themove to decentralisedecision-making, which is whatwe have advocated earlier, but we also need a game plan to coordinate the response nationally, and to come up with a long-term vision.

Covid-19 will test our tenacity, grit, resilience, and patience as a nation.India needs to carefully consider, plan and prepare for all possible scenarios that could arise out of the Covid-19 crisis.

Also read: Modi got all the credit for lockdown. Now, he wants states to share risk of unlocking India

Moving forward, weneed to visualise the Covid-19 response like athree-dimensional chess game, with health, economy, social, and political fronts being the multiple boards. Like in chess, we need to not only weigh the pros and cons of all the moves available to us, but also anticipate the opponents counter-move and plan the subsequent response. And, like in chess, there are three phases opening, middle-game and end-game.

The past five months from the first case to the successive lockdowns can be construed as the opening phase. We decreased the rate of spread and confined a majority of infections to a few districts. The middle-game, which will be longer, can be envisaged to last from now until an effective treatment or vaccine comes to the market. The end-game will begin with deployment of the treatment or vaccine nationally.

We need to begin the middle-game by clearly defining the broad objectives to achieve. The government does not seem to have clearly defined the objectives of the lockdown. Itsent a genericmessage thatthelockdown will defeatcoronavirus, which can be interpreted in myriad ways. Sometimes, it appeared as if theaim was to achieve zerocases, butthen it was changed to building healthcapacity.

With the increasing number of cases, migrants woes, and testing numbers still low, many have arguedthat the lockdown is a failure.

A few continue to present a totally positive spin on the lockdown,by selectively presenting cherry-pickeddata on how India is faring with respect to the rest of the world.

We,like others, feel the lockdown had elements of success like gaining time to build our health infrastructure, increase our testing capacity, focus on behaviour change and puttingresponse systems in place.

This divergence of opinion can be attributed to not communicating the aimsclearly beforehand, and metrics of evaluating success or failure.Therefore, we need to define the objective of the middle-game now.

Also read: First day of Unlock 1.0 Delhi shuts its border, street food vendors back in Chhattisgarh

Are we aiming for a draw (mitigation of the virus) or a win (suppression of the virus)?

Do we accept that a certain number of cases will occur for foreseeable future and we will focus on managing these and prevent the health system from collapsing?

If so, what is the tolerance limit for our health capacity, and is the capacity equitably distributed across our country? Or, do we aim to bring the number of daily cases to near zero?

If the latter, what is our contact-tracing strategy?Have we strengthened our surveillance systems and isolation capacity? Or, should it be a mix of both, and if so, what are the quantitative thresholds to move from one to another?

What are the economic and social objectives to aim for in the next phase?

We need to conduct a series of thought experiments by enumerating all scenarios that can play out, and the options available to address them. We need to ask questions on how different things can pan out.

Then, we need to use this to develop complex matrices of scenarios and agame plan for each one, with contingency plansat specific quantitative thresholds built in. We should communicate our options, approaches, and plans more openly and transparently. This will instil confidence in the public, boost their morale and help seek active participation.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: Any assessment can only commence after the lockdown is lifted fully; theres a lot of uncertainty.

Uncertainty by itself should not be an excuse not to plan, but more of a reason to have a well-thought-out network of plans. Unpredictability is more corrosive than uncertainty.This policy of having no policy reveals a fatalistic mindset, kills the confidence in response, and subdues the animal spirit. Having an elaborate plan, which is substantive and not superficial, conveys to the public that the government is proactive, ahead of the pandemic, and in control of the situation.

Also read: Sensex climbs to 3-month high on hopes that ease in lockdown will reboot economy

The next requirement is to maintain presence of mind when the best-laid plan goes awry the government must assess the situation, think on its feet and take corrective action so that the main plan is not affected.

Lockdown 1.0 set in motion the migrant crisis, but the government was unable to manage it, underestimating the size of crisis, discounting the desire of migrants to return home, disregarding their reasons, overestimating the risk of national spread, and misreading the political blowback.

The governments should be able to do rapid assessment after major decisions and take corrective actions.For instance, once theshramiktrains started, they should have monitored the situation on how many new cases are arising from train returnees. By not assessing these parameters, both the central and state governments leave room to blame one another and escape accountability.

When more relaxations are announced, like when malls openor when educational institutions are allowed to restart classes, the government should measure the mobility increase, social distancing adherence, and impact on the rate of increase in cases.The data stream should be more disaggregated and allow the government to estimate risk of each decision.This will aid in taking prompt remedial action based on data.

Also read: The night curfew in unlock 1.0 is outdated. Indians still think bad things happen in the dark

The government does not seem to trust the public, and wants to take decisions on peoples behalf (such as implying thatincreased testingwill create panic,suppressing ILIsurveillance data,misclassifying or not reportingdeaths). Community participation, what some call thesocial vaccine, is most critical since restrictions are being relaxed just when we have the highest daily cases, and people are keen to get back to a new normal as quickly as possible.

The public needs to be an active participant in the management of the middle-game. The government should seek support by having honest conversations about community transmission and laying down cards on the table in terms of allscenarios, risks involved, and options. It should create hope by showing potential paths out of the labyrinth.

The next phase has been termed as returning to a new normal and learning to live with the virus. If the government lays out all scenarios, proposed actions and reasons for those actions systematically, and gains public support for the same, that could be its defence against accusations that it is bringing in unnecessary reforms under the guise of pandemic response.

It will also compel the government to take action and not seek refugee under the umbrella of uncertainty.

Our middle-game, and how we chart it, will define what we can look forward to over the next few months and beyond a consolidated effort based on adequate planning, partnerships and precise data, or a continuation of status quo.

Given the novel nature of Covid, we may build the boat as we sail, but at least we should chart potential routes till the end-game begins.

Dr Manjunath Shankar is a public health specialist, health economist and disease modeller.He tweets at@MonJunNot.

Dr Anant Bhan is a researcher in global health, bioethics and health policy.He tweets at @AnantBhan.

Also read: Lockdown flattened the wrong curve GDP instead of Covid: Rajiv Bajaj tells Rahul Gandhi

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India can build the boat as it sails rough Covid crisis waters, but should know where to go - ThePrint

Eeb Allay Ooo!: Five reasons why you should watch this audacious film on migrant crisis – India TV News

Image Source : SCREENGRAB

Eeb Allay Ooo is presented by acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.

Ever since I saw Prateek Vats'social satire Eeb Allay Ooo!, something stayed with me. I don't know what. Eeb Allay Ooo!, which I watched as a part of We Are One: A Global Film Festival by YouTube, explores the plight of migrants and their vulnerability. With the migrant crisis coming to the surface during the lockdown, Eeb Allay Ooo! is an insight intothe life of the working class and their desperation to earn a few bucks. Young unskilled youth, who march their way to Delhi and other metro cities from their villages, are mostly unaware of the challenges they will be facing. Eeb Allay Ooo! reflects how the working class of the country has continued to engage in petty works with no job security, low pay and absolutely little or no respect. Prateek Vats' film draws a sharp line between the two worlds that exist. Without passing judgment, Eeb Allay Ooo! traverses from the Lutyens' Delhi to narrow lanes of those areas thatwe see (or say, prefer seeing)only from a distance.

Eeb Allay Ooo!, presented byfilmmaker Anurag Kashyap,premiered at Pingyao in China before it was shown at the Mumbai Film Festival.

Vats' film is on the monkey menace in Lutyens Delhi, North and South Block, the prime location of all government offices. This monkey problem,common in Delhi, created a job opportunity in which one is required to make the sound of 'Eeb-Allay-Ooo' --the sound of langurs (natural enemiesof the macaque monkeys).

Likeable Shardul Bhardwajplays the faint-hearted migrant Anjani,who is compelledto do this contractual 'government' job as he doesn't have any other skills. Despite not being able to put his heart and soul into the work, Anjani keeps on findinginnovative methods to shoo the monkeys away. Unfortunately, only to find himself in trouble each and every time. The desperation to earn livelihood in a different city drives Anjani into despair, gradually transforming him into another world--a liberating one.

Below I have listed five reasons (I know there are more) why Eeb Allay Ooo! is not a film you shouldmiss.

Eeb Allay Ooo! reflects how vulnerable we all are and most importantly quite easily replaceable. With tens of thousands of youthjuggling for a handful of jobs comes exploitation of workers (includingthose working in high-rise corporate offices). Anjani is made to feel guilty forhaving a tea break during his working hours. He tries to put his points before guruji (his contractor),only to give up due tohis own vulnerability. Eeb Allay Ooo! leaves you uncomfortable by portraying the sheer value of human life, especially, those who have been pushed to the edge of the social diagram.

Through the story of a city's power corridor rattled by monkeys, Eeb Allay Ooo! talks about the disparity that is deep-rooted. The disparity that goes unnoticed. The workers rendering their services in these posh areas (or any other location) often facethe bitterness and humiliation. This comes from thelack of empathy. When Anjani tries to convince a government employee not to feed monkeys, the 'Sarkari babu'threatens him by pretending to dial up his contractor's number. One more scene that depictshow humans are failing on the very humanitarian ground is whenAnjani's pregnant sister (played effortlessly by Nutan Sinha) requests some more time to complete the delivery orders. Thatsense of pride, whichcomes with such acts of oppression is the by-product of insensitivity.

The divisive nature of the society also comes to the forefront when Mahender (played by real monkey repeller Mahender Nath) and Anjani are at a fancy party to assure no disturbance by simians.

Humans are desperate and the desperation grows when one is left with no choice. Well!for the working class, it is a desperation to meet their daily needs. It is an everyday struggle to have something on their plate when they go back home. Anjani, who doesn't know how to cook, has no skills to be a plumber or electricianand doesn't want to be a sweeper, go through the congested lanes of Old Delhi to find any odd job. The desperation to makeends meetcanbe also seenwhen Anjani's brother-in-law (played by Shashi Bhushan), who works as a security guard in an amusement park, has to keep a gun for araise of Rs 1500.

Eeb Allay Ooo! sums up the world of the marginalised section and their helplessness.

From New Delhi's government buildings to narrow colourful lanes of Old Delhi, Sahi beautifully captures the locations without altering theirauthenticity. The expressionof kids in the langar scene (towards the end of the film) is one such momentwhen it becomes difficult to differentiate between the reel andthe real. Andhow can I forget monkeys, who looked as if they were responding to the camera.

The background music of Eeb Allay Ooo! hits hard, especially in thescene where a traumatised Anjani is sitting hopelessly with a mithai ka dabba in his hand.

Last but not the least, the subtle performances by Shardul Bhardwaj who plays Anjani, Nutan Sinha and Shashi Bhushan who play the lead's sister and brother-in-law,earn the credit of lifting up this well-written and beautifully-captured film. The pride with which Ajani's pregnant sister tells the doctor that he has a "government job" makes my heart melt.

The women characters of Eeb Allay Ooo! are strong. They are not there to toe the lines but to make their stand clear. Anjani's friend (Naina Sareen) doesn't hesitate to chide him and leave when he disrespects her.

Special shout out to Mahender Nath for playing himself which only he could have done. Am amazed!

Eeb Allay Ooo! is a thought-provoking film, which initially looks like asocial satire but then surprises you by endingon adarknote. (PS: Anjani's devilish Joker-like smile will haunt you in more than one way.)

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COVID-19: United States and UNICEF join forces to protect the most vulnerable including migrants in Thailand – Thailand – ReliefWeb

BANGKOK, Thailand The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) are partnering in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to help curb the spread of the virus and mitigate the impacts among the most vulnerable populations in Thailand, such as migrants and their families, and stateless ethnic minorities.

USAID has provided UNICEF grants totaling $700,000 to address the pandemic in Thailand. The COVID-19 crisis is upending the lives of the most vulnerable populations in Thailand, such as low-income populations, migrants, ethnic minorities, and transient workers, who often have limited access to critical health and hygiene information, as well as quality and affordable health services.

Migrants and other vulnerable groups were already facing a number of challenges even before the pandemic because of their status, language barriers, social stigma and discrimination, said Thomas Davin, UNICEF Representative for Thailand. The fight against COVID-19 must not leave anyone behind, young or old. Ultimately, this support protects the whole society. It is our collective responsibility to support the most vulnerable, regardless of their legal or ethnic status, and ensure that they are safe and have access to services to survive and stay healthy. The generous contribution from USAID is helping us reach more children and families who need support the most so that no one falls through the cracks.

"Beyond the immediate health impact, the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the livelihoods and social wellbeing of communities across Asia, said Peter A. Malnak, Mission Director of USAIDs Regional Development Mission for Asia. These burdens can be particularly acute on our most vulnerable populations, with disruptions to youth and adolescent education. USAID is pleased to partner with UNICEF and the Royal Thai Government in providing immediate assistance to mitigate the pandemic's social and economic impacts on the most vulnerable communities across Thailand. Together, working in solidarity, we will forge a new path to resilience, health, and wellbeing in the months ahead."

Under the USAID-UNICEF partnership, UNICEF is working with stakeholders including the Migrant Working Group, civil society organizations, international organizations, as well as the Royal Thai Government to provide coordinated and impactful support and ensure that adequate and timely assistance reaches children and families in migrant and non-Thai communities.

Among several initiatives under the USAID-UNICEF partnership, UNICEF is working with Raks Thai Foundation and World Vision to conduct community outreach and disseminate information materials on health and hygiene practices to some 120,000 migrants and ethnic minorities living in 22 provinces across Thailand. The materials are available in Burmese, Khmer, and Lao. Program partners are also providing psychological support and guidance for parents and caregivers to promote mental health and wellbeing in these communities.

Program partners also trained migrant youth to support their communities on COVID-19 prevention and anti-discrimination and are establishing emergency grants to help such young people continue their education and skills development.

The grant from USAID will help UNICEF and the Royal Thai Government in mitigating the short and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children by providing social services in the health and education sectors.

UNICEF is also distributing digital thermometers to 3,000 institutions, including early childhood development centers and schools in the southern border provinces, as well as residential care facilities and youth training centers nationwide.

USAID will support UNICEF in promoting increased access to essential services including mental health and social service hotlines. USAID will also support UNICEFs efforts to strengthen child protection at the community level, through increased capacity to detect, report, and refer cases of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children which may increase during COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions.

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COVID-19: United States and UNICEF join forces to protect the most vulnerable including migrants in Thailand - Thailand - ReliefWeb

Indians are Protesting the Hunger Crisis and Migrant Deaths Triggered By the Coronavirus Lockdown – VICE

When the restaurant where 30-year-old Santosh Kumar worked had to close because of the government-mandated coronavirus lockdown, he had no choice but to make his way back home to the eastern state of Jharkhand. The five-day journey back by bus, from his workplace in the city of Hyderabad, was excruciating.

I survived on tea and biscuits. Sometimes, we would get some rice. Now Im home, and theres still no word, and soon, the grains in my home will also run out, he told VICE.

Rajeev Rai, another migrant worker, travelled four days from Surat, in the eastern state of Gujarat, to reach Jharkhand after the lockdown. Rai talked about the discrimination he and other migrants faced during their journey. We had packed almonds, chappatis and water, even a stove. But once we ran out, we tried to get things from shops on the way, he said. The shopkeepers would shoo us away, or throw items or money at us because they thought we might be the carriers of the virus.

He added, We heard of other migrants, who walked back to Jharkhand, being chased away by people if they tried to sleep in empty buildings at night. There was no facility by the government to fall back on.

Stories like Kumar's and Rais exemplify the neglect and brutal treatment of migrants under one of the worlds strictest and harshest lockdowns. India's nationwide lockdown, announced on March 25, effectively demanded 1.8 billion people to stay at home. The order saw a sudden shutdown of the economy and sealing of the borders in as little as four hours, and brute force being used by the state police against anyone seen outside. Migrants like Kumar and Rai, who were forced out of jobs once businesses and workplaces shut down, were suddenly forced to go home on gruelling journeys that were fatal for many.

Even today, after lockdowns have eased in many states across the country, reports of migrants dying of hunger and exhaustion continue to trickle in. The causes range from walking hundreds of miles, to poorly arranged special trains meant to transport migrants home, to neglected quarantine centres, to joblessness.

But now migrants have had enough.

We want justice for our fellow migrants who died, said Kumar. And answers for those who survived but are still facing a bleak future.

Kumar and Rai are a part of hundreds of protests that have erupted across India. On June 1, migrants in over 700 rural and urban towns and villages staged a peaceful protest to demand justice for the workforce that forms the backbone of the country's most thriving cities. They wore masks, maintained social distancing and carried placards with messages like Why should my child stay hungry? We also voted for you, and Stop this cruelty on migrant labourers. We will remember this.

In other parts of the country, protests turned violent. In Chennai, 500 stranded migrants staged a protest after they reportedly did not get anything to eat for three days, at the construction site they were employed at. In Gujarat, clashes included stone-pelting and violence against paramilitary forces. In Mumbai, migrants who ran out of rent money and food clashed with local police. Similar incidents erupted in other states.

Villagers in Bihar observed a two-minute silence for the migrants who succumbed to hunger and exhaustion during the lockdown. Photo: Right to Food Campaign

The plight of migrants and the hunger problem is not just one states problem right now. It is the same across the country, said Ashrfinand Prasad, an activist in Ranchi, Jharkhand, who works with non-profit Right To Food Campaign, which is focused on food security.

Jharkhand is one of the worst-hit states in terms of poverty and hunger under the lockdown. It is also one of the many battlegrounds for the migrants staging their protests.

India already ranks poorly in the global hunger statistics, so the pre-existing problem of malnourishment has been made worse by the lockdown-induced mass starvation. A study found that 90 percent of workers lost livelihood under the lockdown, while 94 percent dont have access to the central governments compensations such as food relief. Some experts say that theres actually no way of knowing how many died due to starvation, although conservative reports show it is at least a few hundred.

The crisis is now impacting other aspects of migrants lives too. Apart from the hunger and deaths, the migrants are also traumatised. There is a huge mental health crisis in this section of society. Some migrants are committing suicide, Prasad told VICE.

In May, the Indian Psychiatry Society observed that one in five Indians showed signs of mental distress under the lockdown. In rural pockets, this has been caused by reverse migration. Prasad added that hunger and suffering also led to increased cases of conflicts within homes.

Right to Food Campaign, which has been mobilising migrants for work in their native towns and also providing them with relief, notes that the situation is too alarming to ignore. Weve been doing relief work and petitioning since 2001, but this has been going on for too long. The government response has been inadequate, said Dipa Sinha, the organisations convener. We have started campaigns across the country wherein migrants feel safe and comfortable to raise their voices, and not remain passive agents in this scenario.

As a part of this campaign, Right to Food has been posting protest visuals from the ground on Twitter as well as pushing the issue to policy officials and governments. Even though the crisis is unprecedented, it doesnt mean that the authorities stop being accountable, she added.

The Indian government claims it has provided substantial relief distribution, but activists say the majority of migrants slip through the cracks of the social welfare system because they lack adequate identification papers or bank accounts. Rupesh, an activist in Patna, in the east Indian state of Bihar, warned of a looming debt crisis in one of the poorest regions in India.

Here, the state government promised Rs 1,000 ($13 USD) to be deposited into peoples accounts. But we found that 60 percent of people didnt get that because they dont have bank accounts, he said. Theres also another problem. People are taking loans to cover for the loss of livelihoods during the lockdown. Very soon, this will blow up and we will have a debt crisis in the state.

At the beginning of the lockdown, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a relief package for daily wage earners saying, The government does not want anyone to remain hungry. As of writing, government officials have yet to acknowledge the crisis, even going so far as to deny it is happening.

Despite the mass exodus of migrants after the lockdown in March, Solicitor General of the Supreme Court Tushar Mehta claimed, No migrant person was walking on the roads in an attempt to reach his/ her home towns villages. Last month, the highest judicial body also declined a petition to help stranded and hungry migrants, stating, It is impossible for this court to monitor who is walking and who is not.

As the situation worsened, more relief schemes were promised in the form of housing and food for migrants. Yet the crisis remains unchanged.

India is not alone. In Chile, food shortages caused by the pandemic and the lockdown led to social unrest and even violence. The same happened in Venezuela, while in Colombia, impoverished families hung red rags outside their homes as an SOS for the hunger crisis. But in India, theres a unique problem. Here, the starvation is juxtaposed with an unsettling amount of excessive food that are lying in Indias government warehouses. A recent report found 6.5 million tonnes of excess grains, meant for the public, allowed to rot during the lockdownan amount that is said to be more than what was distributed through the government food distribution scheme.

The Food Corporation of India denied allegations of food wastage.

Jayati Ghosh, a professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, emphasises that the government, not the virus, is to blame for the hunger crisis. The first point to note in terms of this hunger crisis is that this is not related to the virus. It is 100 percent policy-driven when the complete and brutal lockdown was imposed without notice, Ghosh told VICE.

We have 95 percent informal workforce, 50 percent are self-employed, and 80 percent of the rest depend on daily wages. These are not new facts. The government knew this, and despite that, the lockdown was imposed and drove people to starvation. Ghosh called the hunger crisis a betrayal under the pandemic. The nature of this betrayal [of the migrants] is unprecedented in Indian history, and unmatched by any other country in the world, she said.

But the worse may be far from over. Sitaram Rai, a 24-year-old migrant worker from Jharkhand, said that the current unemployment and hunger problems may just be the beginning.

Theres definitely more to come over the next three to four months, he said. We will be jobless in our native villages. And our only other option is to return to the cities where we worked. Who knows if we will come back alive, whether due to the virus or not.

Ghosh reiterated the concern. We will realise the extent of this damage only once the lockdown lifts. Many activities will not exist, along with many jobs, and sources of livelihoods. Its a terrifying prospect, and its clear that the government does not have a grip on this basic reality.

Follow Pallavi Pundir on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on VICE IN.

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Indians are Protesting the Hunger Crisis and Migrant Deaths Triggered By the Coronavirus Lockdown - VICE