NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

By Smarinita Shetty

As the second wave of COVID-19 rages through the country, media and global donor attention is focused on the supply of oxygen in its various forms—even as the country grapples with extreme hunger, poverty, and loss of livelihoods.

The question today is, why aren’t global, institutional funders—many of whom are familiar with India’s development sector landscape—funding humanitarian relief during this wave? Especially at a time when nonprofits that have been embedded in communities for years are struggling to raise funds for their efforts.

These nonprofits work with vulnerable populations, many of whom have already been pushed into poverty due to the first wave of COVID-19. From March 2020 to October 2020, the number of individuals below the poverty line in India increased by 23 crore—a staggering 77 percent. An alarming 90 percent of households surveyed had less to eat. The second wave seems to have exacerbated the problem as primary breadwinners in these communities succumb to the virus.

Photo courtesy of Michael Gabelmann.