COVID-19 lockdown: RAHI to distribute 1.2 mln packaged meals in 4 cities

NGO Rise Against Hunger India (RAHI) on Tuesday said it will distribute about 1.2 million packaged meals in four cities in the coming weeks to vulnerable groups like daily labourers who are rendered jobless due to the lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bengaluru-based hunger relief organisation said it will distribute the packaged meals across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

According to RAHI, the lowest strata of the society comprising of daily wage workers, construction workers, contract labourers, street vendors have been the worst hit due to the lockdown in many states.

These vulnerable groups have lost the only source of their income and are now under the threat of dying from hunger, it said in a statement.

"Even if we take conservative estimates, about half a million such people will be in need of support in Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad alone,"RAHI Executive Director Dola Mohapatra said.

"Hunger is the biggest enemy for these groups as of today and we need to work towards providing them ample provisions, so that they along with their families can have 2 decent meals per day. In these tough times, we need to support them,"he added.

RAHI said it has "started supplying packaged food packets to these vulnerable worst-hit group and plans to supply around 1.2 million meals to these groups across the cities in the coming months."