A worker stands by boxes of food to be distributed to day laborers affected by the spread of the novel coronavirus in Cairo, Egypt, April 15, 2020. A campaign dubbed "Supporting Day Labor, a Social Responsibility" was launched by the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) non-profit organization and is meant to distribute 500,000 food boxes to day laborers who have been hit hard by the recent preventive measures taken by the Egyptian government to fight the virus' spread. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
by Ahmed Shafiq
CAIRO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Reda Salah, a 52-year-old Egyptian carpenter, can still feed his four children despite being temporarily unemployed for more than one month thanks to a local campaign that provides food for day laborers who have been affected by the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"I worked for a workshop in Cairo and I got paid daily, but the workshop has been closed since mid-March due to coronavirus outbreak," Salah told Xinhua as he received a big box that contained basic foodstuffs such as rice, pasta, sugar and cooking oil.
The campaign, dubbed "Supporting Day Labor, a Social Responsibility" was launched by the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) non-profit organization and is meant to distribute 500,000 food boxes to day laborers who have been hit hard by the recent preventive measures taken by the Egyptian government to fight the virus' spread.
Egypt has so far confirmed 5,537 COVID-19 cases, including 392 deaths and 1,381 recoveries.
Since mid-March, Egypt has been implementing temporary closure of schools and universities, government services, entertainment places, restaurants, malls, museums and archeological sites, besides suspending flights and halting sports activities, to curb the outbreak of the virus.
The most populous Arab state is also imposing a nine-hour nighttime curfew that will continue until the end of the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"I have heard that an organization is distributing food boxes for workers whose work has been suspended recently. I submitted an application a few days ago and here I'm receiving the food aid," the man said, holding the food box that can feed a four-member family for two weeks.
He said that the food box he received can help him feed his six-member family for at least 10 days, adding that his savings were barely enough to bring food to their table for a couple of days.
"Our fridge is almost empty ... all we need now are some vegetables and bread," he said, flashing a happy smile.
Founded in 2006, the EFB is specialized in fighting hunger through diversity and innovation. The organization creates effective programs addressing hunger issues through partnerships with those who care about the underprivileged people in Egypt.
"Our main goal is to protect those who suffer the danger of hunger," Mohsen Sarhan, executive chairman of the EFB told Xinhua, adding that his organization has been providing food for 150,000 families in Egypt every month over the past years.
"At the same time, we also provide some 40,000 pupils at public schools with daily meals," Sarhan said, noting that the EFB mainly relies on donations to fund its programs and campaigns.
After the government's measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Sarhan said, millions of day laborers have become in bad need for food aid since they suddenly lost their source of income.
"The majority of those workers have no savings, thus we had to intervene to provide them with food to alleviate the hardships faced by them," the EFB chairman stressed.
Since the campaign was launched on March 19, the EFB has managed to help 400,000 families, Sarhan said.
"This is just the beginning ... the interaction of the Egyptians was unique and the solidarity they have shown encouraged us to go on with the program," he added.
