Poverty and food insecurity may increase as the threat of COVID-19 spreads

Abstract

This article discusses the relationship between both poverty and food insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as presenting possible strategies and actions for increasing social protection in the fight against these conditions in the current epidemiological context, especially for low-income countries. This is a narrative review concerning COVID-19, poverty, and food and nutritional insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic may increase poverty and food insecurity levels, resulting from the absence of or weak political, economic, and social interventions to maintain jobs, as well as compromised food production and distribution chains and reduced access to healthy foods in different countries around the world, especially the poorest ones, where social and economic inequality was already historically high; the pandemic heightens and uncovers the vulnerability of poor populations. Public policies focused on guaranteeing the human right to adequate food must be improved and implemented for populations in contexts of poverty with the aim of providing food security.

Governance for Human Security: Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Morang District, Nepal

“…Services like telecommunication, television and internet play significant part for stress management of the people containing at homes during pandemic. We also observed during the COVID-19 pandemic food production and distribution chains were negatively affected consequently reducing the poor people's access to food, where inequalities already prevail in the society (Pereira & Oliveira, 2020).…”

“…Avoiding identity-based partiality during distribution of the relief food items in the community is necessary in order to maintain peace which can be practiced through cooperative approach. In such pandemic condition, partialities and inequalities are expected to reduce through political solidarity and commitment to social welfare (Pereira & Oliveira, 2020).…”

“…People's ability to afford adequate food has been reduced due to the pandemic (United Nations, 2020). For providing food security, many states have been practicing incentives for the production and distribution of food to socially and economically vulnerable groups (Pereira & Oliveira, 2020). It is observed that at least one foodbank was established in each local level to support the indigent people by the informal groups like youth clubs and associations.…”

“…Due to the lockdown and restrictions, people lost their employment and livelihoods to force them in poverty. This pandemic situation reduced people's capacity to afford food (Pereira & Oliveira, 2020;United Nations, 2020). At this period, people faced challenges to access healthcare facilities, threats to physical integrity and economic insecurity.…”

Implications of COVID-19 for nutrition

“…At PHN, we have fast-tracked corona virus articles and, in this issue, we publish four commentaries addressing potential impacts of the pandemic on aspects of nutrition. From Brazil, Pereira and Oliveira (2) discuss poverty and food insecurity. Parekh and Deierlein (3) from the USA note the potential for changes in health behaviours related to public health responses to the virus that may promote obesity and related chronic diseases, all of which increase the risk of suffering severe illness with corona virus infection.…”