The national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 has affected the families of migrant workers, daily wage earners and other vulnerable sections of the communities with the lose of livelihood and lack of food, health and other basic needs in Odisha. This has worsen the life of the most vulnerable population that of pregnant women, lactating mothers, children, adolescent girls, aged, widows, etc. in villages. Police actions to punish those found out of their houses have restricted them going market and even to borrow money from landlords for survival. The government advance distribution of Public Distribution System (PDS) food grains for three months (April, May and June 2020) and disbursement of Rs. 1000.00 cash to all eligible families relieved for those who came under National Food Security Act (NFSA), but distressed those families who failed to produce the same with hunger. The adolescent girls and women silently adjusted with the available cloths during their menstruation period, as the shops could not supply sanitary napkins during lockdown. The families have the fear of being affected by this global pandemic by their suspected migrant family members at home to have come in contact with people with COVID-19 positive.

SWAD, in collaboration with CRS, Caritas India, MISEREOR, Mensen met enn Missie and other benevolent supporters  has been responding to the most affected families by providing dry food packages with rice, dal, salt, edible oil, vegetables, spices, etc.; sanitation and hygiene kits with masks, hand-washing soaps, sanitizers, sanitary napkins, bleaching powder and phenyl; and psycho-social counseling to the home quarantined and people in the quarantine centers in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nawarangpur and Kalahandi districts of Odisha. Apart from this, the staff of SWAD has contributed to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund – Odisha to reach the affected unreached population.