The dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the globe with its far-reaching impacts. Even though the long-term health, economic, and social impact is still indeterminate, the immediate effects have ensued with significant loss of lives and livelihoods. Those already living in poor and vulnerable conditions have been the hardest hit, suffering extreme hardship from reduction in income and decreased consumption, since existing coping mechanisms are grossly inadequate to counter the shocks from the pandemic. This scenario is bound to threaten their chances of survival, plunge them further into extreme poverty as well as expand the inequality gap. As a result, the importance of investing in efficient social protection programmes has never been more pronounced.
August 12, 2021