Providing meals to people in need of life Suspending new coronavirus April 26, 7:33

The spread of the new coronavirus is also affecting activities to support people in need. According to an interview with NHK, it was found that 15 groups and churches that provide food to people living on the street in Tokyo are suspending their activities or reducing their posture to prevent infection. . Experts point out that "the activities of the private sector, who have protected the food of the poor, are severe due to the risk of infection, and need public support."

With the spread of the new coronavirus continuing to increase, more and more people are losing their jobs due to dismissal or suspension of employment, and there are concerns that more and more people will lose their places of residence due to absences such as online cafes.

However, when NHK interviewed 30 groups and churches that are engaged in providing food to people in need in the city such as street dwellers in total, 15 of them, half of them, stopped their activities. I found out that I am doing less or reducing the posture and reducing the number of meals provided.

The reason for this is that all of them are "to prevent infections", and if a large number of people gather at a facility or church of a group, it may become so-called "3 density", and worship at churches is also conducted online. It explains that it is because all activities are suspended.

On the other hand, some organizations are increasing the number of meals they provide, because the suspension of food provision may lead to more severe conditions for people living on the street.

However, all of the groups are struggling with measures to prevent infections, such as distributing masks to the gathered people, asking them to line up at intervals, packing meals cooked in large pots into lunch boxes, and taking them home. By receiving this, many people are prevented from crowding and eating.

Masahito Kimura, a professor at Takachiho University, who has been involved in support activities for people living on the street for many years, said, "The activities of the private sector, which have protected the food of the poor people such as those living on the street, are becoming severe due to the risk of infection. The situation is almost the same as it was at that time, and it is necessary for the private sector not to take risks, but to provide support such as public food provision. "

Suspension of provision of meals "3 dense"

The Hasune Baptist Church in Itabashi, Tokyo, has traditionally provided warm meals to those who come to worship every Wednesday and Sunday.

It is said that about 50 people gathered at each worship service each time, and there were many cases where street dwellers living at Tokyo Station, Yoyogi Park, etc. walked for about 15 kilometers over several hours.

However, as infection with the new coronavirus spreads, as a result of discussions with volunteers who support the activities, there is a possibility that it will be "3 secret" if meals are provided in the church or consultation of life is done, last month. We decided to take a break from the middle of the month to the end of next month.

Currently, he says that he is paying a lunch fee to those who visit the church saying that he is “in trouble with food”.

Yasutoshi Takagi, the chief pastor of the Hasune Baptist Church, said, `` I think that I was able to get mental peace by eating and consulting in the church, so for the first time I had to rest for such a long time, The person who visited yesterday was in a fluffy state, saying, "The other cooking is also stopped and I have not eaten anything for 2 days." I'm very worried. "

Continuing cooking continues to conflict with infection risk

Some support groups continue to work while fighting the risk of infection.

Of these, Nojiren, an organization that cooks food in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, continues its activities every Saturday.

The group used to serve as a place for exchanging information necessary for daily life by having people who gathered meals made with large pots eat together, but from the end of February when the infection spread, cooked meals were lunch boxes. It was packed and distributed to prevent many from crowding and eating.

On the 25th, more than 150 people usually gathered, but we were taking measures such as distributing masks to those who gathered, marking the streets and asking them to line up at intervals.

According to the group, while the provision of meals is stopped in various places, about 1.5 times the number of people will usually gather when there are many, and it is possible to see young men inside, so we increased the amount of meals and responded. It means that

A 31-year-old man who participated in the cooking process said, "I had to do some work such as moving, but my corona caused me to lose all my work. I want to eat at least one meal a day, so it's tough when I'm out of cooking." I was talking.

Professor Masato Kimura of Takachiho University, who is a member of an organization that cooks food and has been involved in support activities for people living on the street, said, `` I don't want to get infected people, but if all the groups stop their activities, they will have to eat. There is a dilemma that the number of people who can not take it will increase on the street.However, it will be difficult to judge whether activities that will save lives will be continued when the situation becomes more severe in the future. "

The employment measures business in the capital is also suspended

The employment measures business in Tokyo, which has been a valuable source of income for people who are in need of living, has also been suspended.

In order to compensate for the unstable income of daily laborers, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has a "special employment measure project" to hand over 8500 yen by paying daily for cleaning the metropolitan parks for about 3 days a month from 1973. going.

According to the city, there are currently about 1,700 registered people, many of whom are 65 years of age or older, and they have become a valuable source of income for those who find it difficult to get other jobs. However, due to the declaration of emergency, the business was suspended from this month, and there is no prospect of resuming it.

According to the city, it takes a long time to travel to sites such as parks by bus, so it is unavoidable that the condition is "3 dense", and it is difficult to take preventive measures such as increasing the number of supervisors.

“We have decided that we should prioritize life and health until the situation has settled,” said Masaaki Nishikawa, head of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. I'd like you to rely on the contact person in Japan. "

A woman living on the street "Half a meal"

A woman in her 50s who participated in the cooking in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo on the 25th, has been living on the street for almost 10 years.

The woman said, “The number of places where meals are served is reduced, and the number of meals has been reduced by half compared to before. There are days when we have to walk from Shibuya to Shinjuku for food, but still a day. "I have to come home with only one meal, and there are days when I can't eat anything. I can't do anything about it, I just hope that the situation will come to an end."

A man in his 60s “just live and live”

A man in his 60s who participated in cooking was said to have stopped working for day labor, which had continued for about 10 years due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

The man said, "Since the beginning of March, my work has been almost closed, and I have no work to dispatch. It was hard at the time of the Lehman shock, but now it is hell. It is the first time for me to experience this situation. There are a lot of people, but I think it's a situation where they are still alive. "

And, "Because even if you have 10,000 yen or 20,000 yen, it will be gone soon, so cooking is very helpful." Regarding the current situation that meals are being offered less frequently, I have to thank them because at least we think they're doing it for us to live, "he said.