Gallup Covid-19 lockdown response survey: 20pc population asked for help, felt food shortages

KARACHI: A sizeable portion of Pakistan's population feels the months long lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic forced them to ask for help to overcome the financial problems besides confronting shortages of basic edible commodities. Furthermore, 51% of the country's population are optimistic about the relations between major world powers and Pakistan becoming more cooperative after the COVID-19 crisis, ranking 6th out of 17 countries regarding hopefulness.

The Gilani Research Foundation conducted a survey over the economic problems faced by Pakistan due to lock down in view of the Covid-19 pandemic on behalf of Gallup & Gilani Pakistan. The sample size of the survey was 1,500 people from across the country who were quizzed about availability of the essential commodities and their economci plight. Like globally, the lockdown in Pakistan has also slowed down the economic activities and the traders of Karachi and Quetta have pledged to violate the restrictions and to go ahead with opening their shops and markets. The lock down enforced since March and is likely to be relaxed from May 9 as the countrywide infections topped 23,000 figure

According to the findings of the Gallup Survey, 23 per cent respondents confirmed shortages of the basic edibles, while 77 per cent did not agree with the notion of any shortages of the daily food items.

As many as 20 per cent people said they sought the help of friends and relatives during the lock down to run the expenditures, while 80 per cent said they were able to tide over this crisis without asking for any help.

Similarly the Gallup conducted another survey to scale the "hopefulness" over the level of cooperation between Pakistan and the world's major powers in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey has ranked Pakistan 6th out of 17 countries that feel the international cooperation is being helpful after 51% ( one in two) are optimistic about the global level of cooperation between Pakistan and its international partners.

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women from across the four provinces was asked: “Do you expect the relations between the major world powers after the crisis to become more cooperative or more confrontational?” In response to this question, 51% Pakistanis said they believe that relations between major world powers will become more cooperative, 17% believe they will become more confrontational while 32% say they don’t know/cannot say.

According to the global results, respondents from Thailand and Indonesia are the most optimistic about relations between major world powers becoming more cooperative after the COVID-19 crisis. Russians and Koreans expect more confrontations. Pakistan ranks 6th out of 17 countries regarding hopefulness about increasing cooperation.