ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: As the lockdown has widely been deemed as an inevitable initiative across the globe including in Pakistan to flatten the curve of COVID-19, three million Pakistani households were left with no option but to rely on government or NGO assistance to cover their household’s basic needs, according to a recent survey report.
The survey was conducted by the Gallup Pakistan in April 2020 through telephone to analyze the impacts of COVID-19 on Pakistani households, the Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency reported.
Later the Gallup Pakistan released a Special Report on “Economic Impact of Lockdown due to Coronavirus on Pakistani Households” which presents a human side of the current sufferings caused by the lockdown, the government has imposed throughout Pakistan to mitigate the COVID-19 impact.
Click Here to Read Full Survey Report ‘Economic Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Pakistani Households‘
The following are key findings of the survey;
- Food Insecurity Fears Rise In Pakistan
- Nearly 6.9 million households in Pakistan claim to have reduced the number or size of meals for some family members to cover their household’s basic needs. The greater proportion of urban (27%) than rural respondents (20%) mention reducing the number or size of meals to cover their household’s basic needs.
- Nearly 1 in 4 Pakistanis (23%) say they are now relying on less preferred and less expensive food items to cover basic household needs.
- Nearly 24 million adults say they have borrowed food or asked for help from a friend or relative in the past 7 days to cover their household’s basic needs. Greater proportion of 50+ years old respondents (29%) report borrowing food or seeking a friend/relatives help to cover their household’s basic needs.
- Financial Insecurity Has Started To Descend
- Nearly 1 in 5 Pakistanis (19%) say they had to lean on their savings to cover basic household needs. The higher proportion of older people and urban respondents (27% each) report having used their cash or bank savings to cover their household’s basic needs.
- Nearly 10 million adults report they have started to look for ways to earn additional money to cover their household’s basic needs. 6% more urban than rural respondents say they have started to look for ways to earn additional money to cover their household’s basic needs.
- Reliance On Outside Help And Selling Assets To Sustain Household Finances Is Increasing
- 3 million households claim to have relied on government or NGO assistance in the past week, to cover their household’s basic needs.
- 8 million households claim to have sold some assets in the past 7 days to cover their basic household needs. More males (7%), urban dwellers (8%) and respondents in the aged between 40-49 (9%) claim to have sold some assets to cover their basic household needs.
