India is one of the world's largest food producers. Ironically, the country is also home to the largest population of hungry people and one-third of the world's malnourished children. The Global Hunger Index ranks India 102nd among 117 countries.
The course of the COVID-19 pandemic has made these conditions worse. The virus has disrupted global and local food systems, and India's poor and hungry are being affected worse than ever.
People working in the informal sector account for 90% of India's labour force.
Without the prospect of earning a steady income, let alone save for uncertain times, it was clear the measures to contain the health emergency would affect those in agriculture, construction, and services the hardest.
As people have lost their jobs and meagre incomes, food insecurity has skyrocketed, and nutrition security worsened among the already vulnerable.
Many people are faced with the cruel trade-off between defying the lockdown and catching the virus or remaining at home and seeing their scanty food stocks dwindle. Given the scale of the problem, WIN’s contribution to feeding a small number of families may seem insignificant. But to those we reach every day, the food we provide is everything.