COVID-19 outbreak was first time experienced in the Wuhan City of China at the end of December 2019. Different steps have been taken worldwide for the control of COVID-19. Even with less resources Pakistan also taken rigorous measures like designed special hospitals, laboratories for testing, quarantine facilities, awareness campaign and lock down to control the spread of virus.
According to the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan, there are total 185,294 confirmed cases in Pakistan with 3,003 critical cases as of June 25th, 2020.
Since the outbreak of Corona Virus, Ujala network1 under the aegis of AwazCDS-Pakistan decided to contribute in difficult economic and health pandemic period by running different awareness raising campaigns to educate communities on COVID-19. To provide the financial assistance to deprived segment of the society, Ehsaas Emergency Cash program was launched by the Prime Minister on April 1, 2020 in the context of the economic hardship being experienced by the vulnerable due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The financial help under the program was meant to help poor buy rations so that they don’t go hungry during lock down period. The program covered 12 million families; PKRs 12,000 per family was given and worth of PKRs. 144 billion were successfully distributed.
Other emergency responses were also designed, financed and implemented by many people in their private capacity as well as on behalf of hundreds of thousands of NGOs and other private sector organizations across the country.
In this regard AwazCDS-Pakistan and its 46 partner organizations working together in 45 districts across the country including J & K and Gilgit Baltistan under its Ujala Program decided to divert its resources in to Ujala Corona Emergency Response Program. Apart from mass sensitization campaign through the display of 550 banners, 150 Op-eds’, 150 radio programs, Ujala Partners also did observation of 3 distribution points in their respective districts. Therefore, the altogether 135 observational surveys were planned.
Finally, 44 Ujala partners carried out observational survey in their respective district headquarter at cash distribution places to observe some of the basic indicators like accessibility, taking care of health & safety protocols, transparency in cash transfer, witness discipline and coverage of most vulnerable sections of society like PWDs, Transgender, minorities / other socially excluded groups etc. in the said program. Other than observing Ehsaas cash grant distribution, we also observed the ration distribution activities conducted by non-governmental/ other service providing welfare and humanitarian organizations. comprehensive survey format was developed and a half day online capacity orientation on how to conduct the survey was given to all the district focal points of partner organizations.
The report is based on 129 observatory surveys conducted at 129 cash and other relief distribution sites in 44 districts (Annexure-b) including 10 districts from each of the four provinces and 02 each from Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Observational Survey on Ehsaas Cash Grant Distribution
Posted in Research Studies / Reports.
