Thread by @ikasnik

|| Free food for poor: Lack of awareness, not enough food at night shelters ||

Around 3:30 pm on Tuesday, standing outside a night shelter near AIIMS, Kailash, 44, a differently-abled, held out a transparent plastic bag with one request: A little rice. (1/n)

He had not eaten anything since morning.

“Food is over. Now it will come around 8 pm,” one of the caretakers at the night shelter said, as others were washing their plates after eating.

“I came to Delhi four days back in search of work and sleeps on footpaths... (2/n)

I have not eaten anything from morning,” Mr. Kailash, who cannot walk properly said.

On Saturday, CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced anyone can have food from govt-run night shelters, but interviews with homeless and spot checks at 4 shelters revealed many shortcomings. (3/n)

While food was not delivered in the afternoon at the night shelter next to gate number 1 of AIIMS, the other three said that food was delivered late. People and caretakers of all the 4 night shelters said that food was less and every day 10 to 30 people went back hungry. (4/n)

Rani Kumari, 8, from Bihar, who sleeps near a lift outside gate number 1 of AIIMS nodded her head when asked whether she was hungry.

“I have eaten only biscuits,” Ms. Kumari, said outside night shelter number 584 around 3:15 pm. (5/n)

"I went there (night shelter), but they said food was over. Then I came back and made roti and ate it with salt" Ameena Khatun, 60, from Bihar, said outside her shack opposite to Sai Mandir in Lodi Road around 2 pm. (6/n)

Multiple people at the night shelter under Safdarjung Airport Flyover complained about the quality of the food. (n/n)
#CoronavirusLockdown #COVID2019 #CurfewInIndia #corona
Read more: bit.ly/2xjWvyO