People in poor countries are more afraid of hunger than COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated local economies in many poor nations where people are more afraid of hunger than the virus, The Telegraph reported.

Last year, COVID-19 increased the extreme level of poverty across the globe. In many African and Latin American countries, the virus has decimated the local economy. Most jobs in Mexico, for instance, are also informal, like manual labour or housework, and they have vanished.

Last year, millions of families have trapped on the edge of survival, an effective pandemic response is jeopardised when people can’t meet their basic needs. In other words, many people now are more afraid of dying from hunger than from the COVID-19.

Some cash transfers from the government provide vital support, particularly in times of crisis, they are not a silver bullet. Starting a small business is impossible during the pandemic, and developing nations transform into states of beggars.