Dealing with a deadly conflict and Covid-19

I WOULD like to remind every single Malaysian to raise his or her hands and say a little prayer of gratitude for not having to deal with a deadly war even while battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

People in war-torn countries already had a lot on their plates when Covid-19 became another problem.

As the number of cases gradually increases in these countries, the people are faced with the challenges posed by incredibly poor health infrastructure.

Aside from the possibility of being infected by the virus, they risk dying of hunger or being attacked by terrorists.

To paint a clearer picture, imagine having to go into labour already worrying about the virus infecting you or your newborn child, only to be “welcomed” by terrorists in the maternity ward. This is what happened in Kabul on May 12 (“Afghans say Taliban behind bloodshed”, The Star , May 15; online at bit.ly/attack_babies).

While most of the world prays for the pandemic to be over, people in war-torn countries pray for peace in the time of the pandemic because having to deal with both is hell on earth.

When the virus started to spread, most countries, including Malaysia, developed strategies to help flatten the infection curve. People began practising social distancing and learning to live life in the new normal.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no cohesive strategy in place for dealing with deadly conflicts amidst the Covid-19 outbreak.

The world seems to be overwhelmed in dealing with this pandemic, leaving the plight of conflict zones for another day.

While you are sitting in the comfort of your homes waiting to celebrate the festive season of Hari Raya Aidilfitri in a few days, take a little moment to remember people in war-torn countries and be grateful.