Hunger lines advance along with the novel coronavirus in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – One year after the novel coronavirus began spreading in Brazil, cases of infection and deaths from Covid-19 continue to rise, while aid to the poorest keeps dropping. In Paraisópolis, one of the largest favelas in São Paulo, hunger is severely affecting thousands of families.

On Paz Street, hundreds of people, mostly women with children or seniors, have been in line since early in the morning in search of a plate of food. For most, it is the search for the only meal of the day.

Juceni Rodrigues has 8 children, in addition to the “one that God took away”, as she says. All are unemployed and depend on the food distributed each morning by the Paraisópolis Residents Association, where more than 120,000 people live.

“I need help, I don’t get anything. The only help I get is this. Now I have nothing at home, the cabinets are empty,” lamented Juceni, 61, who has 28 grandchildren.

Accounts about lack of food at home are repeated along the line.

Regiane Aparecida was one of the first to arrive that day. She and her husband are unemployed and need to support their two daughters on a monthly income of R$400 (US$73).

As was the case with 56 million Brazilians, in December 2020 the emergency aid designed to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and paid by the federal governmentm stopped coming in.

On Friday, April 23, Minister of Citizenship João Roma, said that the new emergency aid would be paid at three different amounts: R$150 for beneficiaries who live alone, R$250 for families and R$375 for women who are heads of household.

DAILY CHALLENGES

“Everything is expensive, rice, beans. I don’t mind not eating, but the girls…” admitted Regiane Aparecida, about her daughters, who are fed with the little meals their mother gets.

Also waiting in line is Magno Trajano, who left prison in December and is looking for a job. The food he gets comes from a basic food basket, although he has no stove to cook it. “I’m not going to let desperation drive me crazy. I will be patient,” he said.

DONATIONS PLUMMET

When the pandemic hit Brazil in March 2020, a wave of solidarity reached the country’s needy communities. In Paraisópolis, donations enabled preparing about 10,000 dishes a day, which fed part of the local population.

However, emergency aid has been paralyzed, unemployment continues to rise, and the pandemic is completely out of control.

In early April, for the first time, Brazil passed the 3,000 daily deaths mark for Covid-19, with 3,158 victims reported. In São Paulo alone, 1,021 deaths were registered.

“The situation in Paraisópolis, a year later, is aggravated by hunger and unemployment. The new normal is thousands of people unemployed and no food on their plates,” said community leader Gilson Rodrigues.

“Help has virtually stopped coming since the end of last year, and now is when we need it most,” he added.