Cash help from Pakistan gov't for lockdown low earners

Pakistan has launched a major social protection programme to help its millions of daily wage earners, who have been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown that has been in effect for nearly a month.

According to the government, the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme will provide 12,000 rupees (roughly $72) to 12 million low-income families.

Data mapping and biometric verification is being used to identify the recipient families, and distribution is taking place at government schools and community centres.

Most of Pakistan has been under lockdown since 23 March due to the pandemic.

Having extended the lockdown for two weeks until 28 April, Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said his country faces a stark choice in containing the spread of the virus and letting its people die of starvation.

On Sunday, he issued a global plea to the world’s richer countries and international financial institutions to provide debt relief to poor countries which are being devastated by the battle against the coronavirus, where forced lockdowns to stem its rapid transmission are crippling already fragile economies and causing widespread hunger and misery for the poor.

The South Asian country has so far recorded 5,988 COVID-19 cases and 107 deaths.

Globally, the pandemic has sickened at least 1,982,000 people, killed more than 126,000 worldwide.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

But it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death for some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.

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