The partners of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs on Saturday said it has become very urgent to set up a mapping system of the anti-COVID activities of the NGOs.

Such mapping system, they said, will strengthen coordination, avoid duplication, reach out to risk-stress areas/communities, disseminate good practices and foster mutual learning.

The Platform will take initiatives to promote such an exercise.

Given the huge amount of public resources being allocated for the marginalised and vulnerable population of the country, it is natural for the government to have an interest to know the level of efficacy of its initiatives, according to a paper presented in a virtual media briefing.

The Platform will strive towards to setting up such a social audit system with participation of its partners.

The Partners of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh along with their associates are dealing with the annihilation and destructions unleashed by COVID-19.

Two of the Platform’s Partner organisations started their works from the first week of January 2020, particularly through community radio, for improving awareness and sharing information on the crisis.

Most of the Partners got engaged by middle of March 2020 in direct response against the pandemic.

The major areas of their entanglements in order of importance are the following: awareness; food security; WASH; health; education; employment; agriculture; direct cash support; shelter; legal support; transparency in relief distribution; research and analysis; transport to affected people and rehabilitation.

One of the major roles of the partners in this context had been establishing linkage between the government’s initiatives and the target groups.

A number of Partners also involved in COVID response activities in the Rohingya camps.

The emerging thunders

Protecting the frontline workers of the health service delivery system has to get utmost importance, according to the paper.

However, it is noted that the health professionals such as paramedics, medical technicians, caregivers are often not getting due attention in this regard, it said.

Within the unfolding misfortune, one witnesses the increase of domestic violence against women, according  to the platform.

While the help lines remain open, the shelter homes remain closed, it said.

There needs to be specific directives from the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare to the local administration in protecting the victims in this difficult time, reads the paper.

Concerns are being expressed that as result of the pandemic, school dropouts (particularly of girl students) will increase in the poor families; and so will child marriages, underage pregnancies and child labour, according to the platform.

The government needs to take preemptive measures in this regard from now on, the paper suggested, it said.

The online classes provided through television, although of limited access, need to be more vigorously promoted, said the platform.

One of the fall outs of the pandemic is constrained access to basic food, particularly by the vulnerable groups and greater incidence of malnutrition is being observed, it said.

There are concerns about a possible food entitlement failure of these people, said the platform adding that the food security strategy needs to be revamped in view of the situation.

Apprehensions have been expressed that in view of the circumstances turned out due to lockdown, a certain section of the youth may get addicted to drugs and attracted towards terrorism, reads the paper.

The government, in partnership with the CBOs, need to remain vigilant about such tendencies and take necessary counter measures, it said.