Strengthening food security for the poor is a must

A World Bank survey revealed the grim state of our food insecurity which contrasts the louder claim of food security by the ruling regime over the past decade in every meeting and seating. Around 30 per cent people in Bangladesh are facing food scarcity though the country’s economy made a recovery from the pandemic-induced shocks. The number of people, who went to sleep hungry, almost doubled to 13 per cent in May this year from 7 per cent in June last year, falsifying the claim “nobody goes to sleep with starvation during the surprising economy”. People are betrayed with manufactured data and fairy tales of economic advancement, what truly is a big zero.
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), a government-subsidized think-tank, published the data. Six percent of the people surveyed in May this year said they could not buy food. The figure was 5 per cent in June last year. The number of those who didn’t eat in 24 hours rose to 2 per cent in May this year from 1 percent in June last year, a state of famine.
However, there has been a significant decrease in the number of people, who ate smaller meals, over the last year. It fell to 9 per cent in May this year from 17 per cent in June last year. Food insecurity has heightened the vulnerability of the most food-insecure regions, including the countries in the poorest areas. The WB survey said food security for 70 per cent of Bangladesh’s population has not changed in one year since June 2021. The country’s economy has seen a V-shaped recovery in the last two years since the onset of Covid pandemic but the recovery was uneven as people from all levels failed to get the result of such recovery.
Around 55 per cent people in slum areas were unable to pay rent in June 2020, while it came down significantly to 25 per cent in May this year. According to the study, 22 per cent of tenants in slum areas feared eviction by house owners in June 2020. The number dropped to 14 per cent in May this year. The study suggested expanding and strengthening the social safety net for the poor.