From April 2021 India has been in the grip of the very worst of Covid 19; at the peak of the second wave of the virus, India recorded more than 414,000 newly-confirmed cases and over 3,900 deaths in a single day. Towards the end of July, there had been confirmation of over 31 million confirmed cases and more than 418,000 Covid-related deaths – the true total is thought to be much higher.
All We Can’s local partner based in Odisha (east India) has striven to assist the most vulnerable families in that region to have access to vital emergency resources. As identified by village leaders, the most vulnerable people were given sanitary kits and food supplies including rice, dal, oil, and biscuits, helping over 1,100 families across 5 villages. Because travel and access to work were interrupted, these kits have been an especially critical resource. It has proved difficult to reach all in need, and demand has increased as people returned from urban to rural centres. Further challenges lie ahead in the areas of longer-term food and income security.