Preparing for the worst

As we prepare to enter the second week of April, cruelly appearing on the horizon is a reminder of the world as it once was. Yes, the Sinhala and Tamil New Year is just a week away, as is Easter, followed by the commencement of the month of Ramadan the week after, and what once would have been a time encompassing a series of celebrations and commemorations is now almost certainly to be spent indoors.

As it is, the President’s Media Division has confirmed that the stringent measures taken to counter the spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka is likely to continue until after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, with constant evaluation of the situation to continue with the support of medical, security and legal expertise.

But for the Government, which has spent the better part of the last month in firefighting mode, this is yet another situation that it needs to be wary of, as one that could possibly exacerbate an already dire situation. One obvious concern is the possibility of food shortages, as people scramble for items in an attempt to celebrate the Avurudu season even in a limited matter. Further to this, it cannot be understated that as the economy grinds to a halt, many members of the workforce are fast going to be running short of cash.

Meanwhile marketplaces such as the Dambulla Economic Centre have been temporarily shut down over fears of the virus spreading, with a special mechanism set to be put in place to ensure the sale of vegetables there. There is a legitimate concern that a lack of adequate supply chains is going to cause an oversupply of produce, but also an inability to service the rising demand. 

Another thing that tends to happen towards the end of April in recent years is heavy rain. Indeed, flooding has been a common occurrence in recent years, and we have already seen intermittent signs of heavy rain in the past week around the island. Even in the best of times, handling a natural disaster stretched the limits and resources of the Government, while charity drives to gather food and perishables are common place.

It goes without saying that measures such as this would be nearly impossible to accomplish in the present climate. Packaging for deliveries, something that is already proving a challenge, would take on all new proportions in terms of scale and difficulty. Furthermore, traditional relief measures such as utilising schools as ad-hoc camps would be a complete no-go, for fear of it exacerbating the COVID-19 spread that the Government has thus far done so well to contain.

All things considered, there seems to a perfect storm brewing, wherein possible food shortages could be exacerbated by possible climate-related disasters, but with the added twist of it happening during a period in which the Government has been stripped of its ability provide traditional relief measures.

The most devastating aspect of all this however is its unprecedented nature, meaning that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Proactive decision-making is a must; while the population is still reasonably self-sufficient the Government must to do all it can to prepare the most vulnerable in society with the necessary rations to get through any impending natural disaster. 

While this may not solve all of the country’s present ails, the only certainty at the moment is that the Government cannot afford not to act.