Covid-19 and Food Security

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The current challenging times necessitate that the state must come forward with a pragmatic policy to ensure that everyone has timely access to food. A plan in this direction should include a variety of flexible options to augment the reliability of food accessibility. The key factor of poverty rate should also be given sufficient consideration while working on any such policy draft. First and foremost, the potential scheme needs to target at supplementing the government's relief packages so that the marginalized could, at least, benefit from this temporary aid. The second in this line should be a plan for contingency food stocks. These must be reinforced and prepositioned at strategic locations to avoid any uncertainty in future. Similarly, a provision of either food or unconditional cash assistance in both urban and rural areas would be highly desirable. In this regard, whatever the kind of assistance would be chosen needs to be sensitive to the needs of women who have assumed a greater share of burden in the present time of the pandemic. Health facilities, as well, for those facing inadequacy of nutrition must be provisioned. In addition, children should be provided with adequate support through community-based services, for they are among the worst affected segments in the society. In particular, it should be ensured that nutritionally balanced food is not inaccessible to them. 

All in all, such a policy would prove sufficiently functional to adress the problems of food insecurity in prevailing circumstances.

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