With at least 1.2 million confirmed cases and 64,000 deaths across the globe, the new coronavirus aka COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to take a toll on the world. The economic impact is so huge that it is being compared to the Great Depression.
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva says this is an economic crisis like no other. “Never in the history of the IMF have we witnessed the global economy coming to a standstill. It is way worse than the global financial crisis.”
Countries are fast realising that the impact of this virus is so huge — and unpredictable at the same time — that whatever they do may not be enough.
First, it was about creating and spreading awareness as not many were taking it seriously. Then came the lockdowns, partial or complete, in many countries. Now there are some other stark realities that people are facing; financial woes being one of them. Social-distancing is a privilege. Not everyone can afford it. Lockdowns have helped contain the spread to a certain extent but the economic impact on daily wagers, the lower middle class and many others will be quite harsh. Thus, governments and private citizens must step in to help.
A Facebook post doing the rounds about a university van driver in Pakistan is heartbreaking. According to the post, the driver has been calling up students asking for his monthly charges but not many are responding to his calls/texts. We need to understand that in these tough times, we must help those who are less privileged than us. Those who have given leave to their domestic staff must pay their salaries — and if possible, an advance salary as well. Help those around you who you think need it. Buy rations or donate to charities and organisations like the Edhi Foundation that are doing credible work and helping people in these troubling times.
Another tragic aspect is that those who fall victim to corona have to deal with the illness alone — away from family and friends — in order to keep others safe from the virus. Burying those who die of coronavirus has also become an ordeal. Family members and friends can only say goodbye from a distance. Funerals in the time of coronavirus are quite different. Coronavirus has changed the world so drastically that people cannot even grieve together anymore. These are the new realities until a cure is found.
We will keep learning new things with each passing day. We will see the world change. People will be hungry, frustrated, desperate, scared, depressed, angry and much more. But we must be kind and understanding for this is what humanitarianism is all about. Be human! Be safe.
