Colombians yet to receive promised aid
SOACHA: Sandra Sierra is praying for someone to bring her and her family food amid Colombia’s coronavirus quarantine. Her teenage son Kevin is at a higher risk of serious illness if infected with Covid19.
Kevin (16) has obliterative bronchiolitis, which causes airway inflammation and means he is connected permanently to an oxygen tank.
The family are among many lowincome Colombians who have yet to receive help from the Government, despite promises noone would go hungry during the lockdown of more than a month, which is set to run until April 27.
Colombia has more than 2200 confirmed coronavirus infections and 69 deaths.
‘‘The aid hasn’t reached us here. Now we don’t have food and my husband is out of work,’’ said Sierra (52), who herself is unable to work because of joint problems.
Some people in the workingclass satellite city of Soacha, on the outskirts of Bogota, have taken to hanging red cloth in their windows as a signal they need food and other necessities.
The hope was that neighbours who still had food would see it and share with those who did not, Mario Palacios, a community representative for the
La Maria neighbourhood, said. Though the local government had distributed some groceries, it was not enough, he said.
‘‘We hope they will have us in mind for groceries,’’ said Heidy Mesa, who lives in a rented house with 14 people from various families, including five children.
‘‘We aren’t asking for much, but a pound [about 454g] of rice could last two or three days.’’ — Reuters