NEW DELHI: People in shelter homes and relief centres should have access to breakfast and tea, advocacy group Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) has recommended to the Delhi government.
While the government is serving lunch and dinner at the shelter homes, in schools and hunger relief centres, there is a significant gap between the two meals, said HLRN. The capital went in to a lockdown since March 23. With the lockdown now extended beyond May 4, people would be restricted to their shelter homes.
“The lockdown has proven to be extremely difficult for homeless people, migrants, and daily wage earners. While government has taken noteworthy steps to provide food and temporary shelter for those in need, durable measures for securing housing and food security should be institutionalised in order to ensure that vulnerable groups do not have to suffer,” said Shivani Chaudhry, executive director, HLRN.
With children’s nutrition level remaining compromised during the lockdown, the government may consider collaborating with other agencies to provide free milk at least twice a week to such children in shelters homes and slums, the advocacy group said.
The other major challenge was behaviourial issues at shelter homes for the homeless with the long duration of the lockdown, said a Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) member.