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	Food, fuel and finance crisis by HelpAge   Rising food and fuel costs together with an ever-worsening financial conditions are affecting all of us. But for older people on an already low or no income, the situation is bleak.   This is a crisis within multiple crises. That’s because whenever there is an emergency, older people are often overlooked, their specific needs unanswered and their rights side-lined. Our concern is that this trio of crises - record food and fuel costs and financial volatility – will be no different, putting older people at risk of starvation, acute ill-health and extreme poverty.   The pandemic radically stalled the economy, forcing governments and individuals to draw on their reserves. For older people in low- and middle-income countries, finding financial slack in already tight budgets was difficult. The pandemic forced millions to ration their outgoings, their food intake and call on the support of family and friends to survive.   There is also scant social protection for older people: in many of the countries where HelpAge and our partners work, universal pensions and free health care simply don’t exist. And for many older people, it is simply not possible to go out and find work.   Riding out the huge financial shock of COVID-19 was always going to be hard but the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sent costs soaring at a time when cupboards were already bare.   Older people in low- and middle-income countries are particularly susceptible to price hikes because they often struggle to make ends meet. A crisis of this scale forces many to look to their families and others for support. But when difficult decisions have to be made, older people are often deprioritised in favour of younger family members; older people may also choose to give their share to others in their family.   30% of the world’s wheat and barley comes from Ukraine and 36 countries rely on Ukraine and Russia for more than half their wheat. The war has meant that grain being cultivated isn’t making it out of the Russian-occupied Black Sea ports and the supplies getting through come with huge insurance premiums – so we have far less of our basic foodstuffs, at far higher prices.   The cost of fuel is a major concern for daily life, but it also has a potentially catastrophic impact on the effect on future harvests. High gas prices, needed to make fertilizer, and disruptions in supply, mean costs have tripled since 2020.   This is forcing farmers everywhere to cut back on nutrients, which will affect yields at a time when countries need to grow more of their own crops to compensate for the absence of imported wheat and barley.   With a forty year high in the cost of fuel, less food is being produced and the price of essentials, including medicines, are now out of reach for many.   Take public transport – an essential for millions of older people whether that’s to get around, collect medicines at pharmacies, visit health facilities or sell produce at markets. Fuel costs suddenly make a bus journey too expensive. Older people can’t compensate by walking everywhere so there’s the very real prospect of isolated older people going hungry and getting sick.   Droughts, floods, wildfires – all destroy harvests and kill livestock at a time we can least afford it and can result in forced mass displacement. This presents a real struggle for older people who might not be able to travel long distances.   http://www.helpage.org/what-we-do/food-fuel-and-finance-crisis/ Visit the related web page
	Covid-19 is a double shock for many people living in poverty by IDS, Chronic Poverty Advisory Network   July 2023   Impacts of Covid-19 likely to increase chronic poverty for the next decade, says new report   Future pandemic responses to restrict new infections need to be better balanced with allowing people to earn a living, say researchers, in a new report on the impacts of Covid-19. Published by the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network (CPAN), based at the Institute of Development Studies, the report details the widespread and long-term impacts of Covid-19 restrictions on the poorest people around the world.   While acknowledging that authorities had to act quickly to save lives at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the research shows that subsequent lockdowns significantly impacted people living in poverty by removing earning opportunities, heightening domestic violence, depriving children of education and school meals, and increasing food insecurity.   Particularly concerning were the lengthy school closures that continued long after economies opened up. For example, in India schools were closed for two years and in Uganda they were closed for 22 months. For the poorest children this is likely to reduce their future chances for getting out of poverty, particularly for those that never returned when the schools reopened.   The Pandemic Poverty report says that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic including death, illness and the economic and social hardships, on top of other crises such as floods or conflict has put many people not only into temporary poverty but into chronic poverty.   The researchers say those affected are likely to take the next decade or longer to get out of that chronic poverty, and more people could face poverty in future crises unless appropriate measures are put in place.   The researchers call for responses to future pandemics to achieve a better balance between saving lives and protecting livelihoods and child welfare, especially for the poorest in society.   To promote recovery from pandemic-driven poverty and prepare for future pandemics, the report says that policy responses should include long-term investment in hospital and community-based health services, and stronger social protection measures that can be adapted and expanded in pandemic crisis situations.   Social and economic development policies should also be more crisis-proofed, so that they carry on as far as possible without losing progress. Overall, the researchers stress that those living in poverty must be at the heart of policy decisions by governments and the international community for pandemic preparedness and response.   Vidya Diwakar, Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and Deputy Director of the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network, said:   “Our research has found that those in poverty or near poverty particularly suffered during restrictive measures imposed in response to Covid-19, which often meant that they were unable to feed or educate their children. We must prioritise the poorest people and those living near the poverty line when deciding whether to impose lockdowns, market closures or school closures, and how long for. This prioritisation can help reduce the chances of causing greater poverty and long-term damage to people’s lives.”   Andrew Shepherd, Associate Researcher, Institute of Development Studies and Director of the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network, said:   “There is a critical information gap for decision-makers about people living in or near poverty, leading to policies being introduced without considering the potential damaging impacts on millions of people. In future pandemics elite decision makers must include the experiences and welfare of citizens living in poverty.”   The global study from the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network (CPAN), based at the Institute of Development Studies, was based on interviews with people living in or near poverty and/or decision-makers in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.   http://www.ids.ac.uk/publications/chronic-poverty-report-2023-pandemic-poverty/   Oct. 2021   Getting back on track to end extreme poverty. ODI webinar for International Day for the Eradication of Extreme Poverty (ODI)   Covid-19 and related restrictions will reportedly set back decades of progress fighting poverty, hitting the most vulnerable in society the hardest. Some estimate the pandemic will push as many as 115 million more people into extreme poverty in 2021 alone. All of this against a background of a global scramble for vaccinations that might leave lower-income countries years behind, and some donors, such as the UK, significantly cutting their aid budgets.   Watch a discussion on how the global community can use this moment to ensure people living in poverty around the world are not left behind when we ‘build back better’. How has Covid-19 changed or exasperated the issues faced by people living in poverty, and how should global policy and programming pivot to meet their needs?   Speakers: Avantika Chilkoti, International Correspondent, The Economist; Dr. Joyce Mwikali Mutinda, Chairperson, National Gender and Equality Commission, Kenya; Santosh Mehrotra, Director General at Institute of Applied Manpower Research in India, Nicola Nixon, Director of Governance, The Asia Foundation and Amanda Lenhardt, Research Fellow, Overseas Development Institute (ODI)   http://odi.org/en/events/getting-back-on-track-to-end-extreme-poverty/   May 2021   Covid-19 is a double shock for many people living in poverty   Our latest research is the first of three bulletins investigating the negative social and economic impacts of the pandemic in the Philippines, Zambia, Malawi and Ethiopia.   We found that for many people living in poverty, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions are double shocks upon existing vulnerabilities and crises, such as drought, natural hazards and conflict.   Ethiopia key findings   Higher costs of food staples combined with reduced income are causing households to reduce daily meals and threaten food security. Many households interviewed said they eat one meal per day less than before the pandemic and some households reported skipping meals for an entire day.   There has been a higher rate of school drop-out, and increased rates of child marriage.   Support networks have been disrupted. A number of respondents identified these support networks as being critical to their wellbeing, noting material and psychological strains due to these disruptions.   "The poorest who do not have necessary items and depend on daily subsistence have been most affected. About 600 households did not have enough food for immediate consumption. We organised the community to contribute grain to support the poorest. It was not enough." Key informant, Amhara, Ethiopia   Philippines key findings   Most micro-businesses such as neighbourhood stores and tricycle transport service have seen as much as a 60% drop in income due to a nationwide lockdown from 15 March to 1 June 2020. As the lockdown was eased, the financial situation of many micro-businesses improved but not to pre-pandemic levels.   Most respondents said they have significantly changed their food expenditures and are eating less as a consequence of their loss of income due to the pandemic.   Women, especially divorced or separated women, have been the hardest hit by livelihood losses and added caring responsibilities.   Many people have faced the double shock of the pandemic and devastating natural disasters. Some respondents' houses were destroyed in typhoons and others’ crops were ruined by drought, increasing the financial challenges brought on by the pandemic.   “There are days in a week when my family waits for me to come home with my morning’s earnings to buy food for lunch. If the amount is not enough for all of us to eat, the children eat first then I go out again to earn some more for a meal for my wife and myself.” Male respondent, Bicol region, Philippines   Malawi key findings   Pandemic-induced market disruptions are having the greatest impact on our interviewees, with trade disrupted in local markets, farmers unable to sell goods and the prices of staple goods increasing. Many who have lost livelihoods report cutting out a meal a day - some even report cutting out two meals per day.   Many also noted that the costs of masks, while relatively small, were preventing poorer households from accessing markets where they are required.   Girls are at high risk, with school closures linked to increased rates of teenage pregnancy, child marriage, child trafficking and protection concerns.   “A lot of children will drop out of school. Already from the previous closure of schools, a lot of girls here were pregnant and ended up in early marriages. If the schools remain closed for a long time, we expect lots more girls to drop out due to pregnancies and enter into marriages.” Key informant, Balaka, Malawi   Zambia key findings   Impacts of Covid 19 build on a half-decade of impoverishment due to interconnected droughts, loss of employment, inflation and the debt crisis, in a situation where few impact mitigation measures were put in place.   Small business owners and informal workers report loss of income. Some micro, small and medium enterprises such as bars, cinemas, lodges, hotels, salons and barbershops were completely shut down while others were allowed to operate with restricted hours and conditions.   All respondents say the price of essential food and non-food items (such as healthcare) have gone up, leading to nutrition being considered a ‘luxury’ by some households who report only focus on filling their stomachs. This has been a trend pre-Covid as well as has loss of employment.   Older people have been significantly impacted by the pandemic, with some reporting they are going days without food. Movement restrictions have also limited their contact with support networks, such as relatives and church communities.   “We only eat when someone helps out, otherwise we spend days without food, and we recently ate a few days ago. Our only focus is to fill our stomachs, the type of food doesn’t matter, and we, therefore, eat whatever we come across. Nutrition is a luxury; we are okay as long as we fill our stomachs.” Female respondent, Zambia   * Covid-19 and related restrictions will reportedly set back decades of progress fighting poverty, hitting the most vulnerable in society the hardest. A recent World Bank report estimates that the pandemic will push at least 115 million more people into extreme poverty in 2021 alone. All of this against a background of a global scramble for vaccinations that might leave lower-income countries years behind, and some donors, such as the UK, significantly cutting their aid budgets.   We need to inject lived experiences into the discourse on Covid-19 to develop enduring and workable solutions, such as the importance of an equitable global vaccine drive. The Chronic Poverty Advisory Network is interviewing people living in or near poverty to share their lived experiences, and identify what policies are needed to prevent mass impoverishment, hunger or destitution. Visit the related web page
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