(2) The impact of Covid-19 on livelihoods
It was mentioned earlier in the report that figures of actual infections and deaths
related to Covid-19 in Cox’s Bazar camps are relatively low (79 Rohingya cases and 6
deaths as of mid-August 2020). The economic impact of the virus, however, has been
dire. According to a male youth, 19 years old and living in Camp 1E, his family has
started selling a portion of their food rations to make ends meet. Such practices
threaten to harm camp families’ food security and access to nutrition:
I am doing nothing for my
family's livelihood. My elder brother used to work as
a mason and earned 10,000 to 13,000 taka for our family every month, which was
more than enough for us. I just have to give 500 taka every month to my teachers
at the madrassa. Now, my brother gets only a few days of work per month, from
which he is only earning 5,000 to 7,000 monthly. So his earnings have been
reduced by half due to the lockdown. We still get timely
rations from WFP and
sometimes, my mother sells 10kg to 15kg rice, potato and other items from our
rations in order to cover my schooling fees. Covid-19 is affecting my family's
livelihood. We have no other income sources besides my brother.
According to one elder, his life did not change significantly due to the lockdown, but he
recognized the challenges faced by the younger generation of family breadwinners:
As I am an elderly person, I don't move around to other places much like others. I
just stay inside my home all the time. I don't personally have any big difficulties
due to the lockdown, because I think the lockdown is a good way to help us
prevent the spread of Coronavirus. But I see that
there are big difficulties for
those who are daily laborers. I see them suffering without enough food
because of not having the same income as before the lockdown. It is the only
difficulty I see: that people can no longer go to other places to work and make a
little money, with which they can buy some items. Now, they have no chance to
work.
A 54-year old woman in Camp 16 shared her own experiences with selling rations to
mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic:
We are six family members in the camp. My husband has been jailed in Myanmar
since 2016. In the camp, my oldest children are females. So they can't work
according to our religious rules. Also, I am an older person and I face a lot of
difficulties. Since lockdown I have begun
selling some rations, such as blankets
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