Covid-19: Caritas Pakistan
reaches out to the vulnerable
 |
| Amjad Gulzar, Executive Director of Caritas Pakistan |
After the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Pakistan on
February 26, the country’s Catholic Church has been on the alert for the
worst-case scenario.
By Robin Gomes
Since the first coronavirus case, the number of infections
in Pakistan has been growing. The country’s four provinces began to take action
to contain the spread of the virus until a general lockdown was in
place.
Pakistan now has a total of more than 50,000 confirmed cases
of Covid-19, with over 1,000 deaths.
Since the lockdown, the poor and vulnerable people have been
particularly hit with the loss of jobs and means of livelihood.
Daily-wage earners have found it particularly hard to
provide food for their families, apart from basic sanitation and health
needs.
Caritas in action amid a worsening situation
Caritas Pakistan, a member of Caritas Internationalis - the
global confederation of 165 national Catholic relief and development agencies -
is the social and development arm of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops'
Conference.
According to Amjad Gulzar, the executive director of Caritas
Pakistan, the overall situation in the country has been worsening since the
first case was discovered.
He told Vatican News that, while the government was taking
measures to ensure public health, Caritas was drawing up its own plan of
action, “sharing updates and situation reports” with Caritas Internationalis
members.
On March 19, Caritas Pakistan called a meeting of all its
diocesan offices and established certain guidelines to ensure the safety of its
staff, volunteers and community groups who assist people during the pandemic.
For this, they need safety and hygiene kits.
With the situation growing worse, the government declared a
nationwide lockdown. The governments of all four provinces followed
suit.
Protecting against Covid-19
Gulzar pointed out that the pandemic is an unprecedented
emergency that the entire world has been grappling with. Pakistan is no
exception.
Social distancing appears to be the most effective measure
against this deadly, invisible enemy. Hence restrictions on movement and
gathering of people and lockdowns are the emergency path of governments to
contain the spread of the virus.
Caritas Pakistan thus began to gather information from the
World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s Children’s Fund UNICEF, government
public health institutions and others to protect the people and make them aware
of the danger of the virus.
They then developed information and education materials
which they began distributing to the people through their field officers, the
social media and other means.
Lockdown - joblessness, food needs
Gulzar pointed out that the immediate effect of the lockdown
was the immense suffering of the people because of the loss of jobs and
livelihood.
Daily daily-wage earners have been worst hit. Putting food
on the table daily was the immediate need.
Caritas swung into action, providing those affected with relief
food packages. A single food package includes 10 kg of flour, 3 litres of
cooking oil, 5 kg of rice, 3 kg of lentils and essentials such as chilli
powder, salt, tea leaves and sugar.
According to Gulzar, the amount is sufficient to feed a
family of 4 to 5 persons for over a month. This way, Caritas has been able to
help more than 5,000 families.
Coordination among Church entities
According to Caritas Pakistan’s executive director, they are
working in close collaboration with all the 7 dioceses of the country, through
their respective parishes, organizations and institutions.
Gulzar also pointed out that the government has announced
many relief and development plans but little has been done to implement
them.
But the Catholic Church of Pakistan through Caritas is
reaching out to the vulnerable people.
Many religious congregations are also engaged in charity and
relief work. Caritas has been coordinating with them for more effective and
concerted action of the Catholic Church.
Post-Covid-19 plan against unemployment
The lockdown of over 2 months, Gulzar observed, has brought
the economy of the country to a standstill. Its effects will linger long after
the economic and commercial activities have resumed.
One of these effects, he said, will be a “very high level of
unemployment”, which will affect entire families and communities.
Caritas recently held a coordination meeting with all the
diocesan Caritas heads for a plan of action against unemployment in the
post-Covid-19 period.
In this regard, specific programmes will be launched to
assist particularly the poor and the most vulnerable in 48 districts in the
coming 4 years.
Youth will be provided with specific opportunities, skills
and vocational training so that they can be employed or self-sufficient.
Gulzar pointed out that the government offers many schemes
and programmes for the economic upliftment of the poor. Caritas will help
people to access and benefit from these initiatives.
Caritas will be coordinating with diocesan offices and
district authorities to implement certain projects for the social and economic
development of people who are hit by the lockdown.
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