Covid-19 has affected economies the world over, costing people jobs and compelling businesses to shut down.
In South Africa, having had an already compromised economy the pandemic hit hard – with women bearing the brunt of it all according to a recent study.
Speaking on POWER Update on Thursday, Senior researcher from the Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute Sacha Knox says many people in South Africa are starving to death with no option.
“Most people don’t even have money to feed themselves never mind access to further opportunities. An already dire picture in South Africa is really being exacerbated through the current crisis…
“Black people are even more severely impacted by the current situation and vulnerable groups like black women are disproportionally affected… This is a humanitarian crisis.”
She adds that even before the Covid-19 pandemic, black South Africans living below the upper bound poverty line was 64.2%.
“The upper bound poverty lines means you have R1227 in your pocket each month,” she says adding that “it’s startling”.
Listen to the podcast in which Sacha Knox is emphasising the necessity for a BIG in response to our current humanitarian crisis by clicking the button below.
