Subject: The Impact of Covid-19 On Young Population of Pakistan

 The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has

significantly impacted on the youth globally.

 The pandemic and the subsequent measures, for example, social

distancing, self-isolation, and lockdowns, have led to severe impact on
youth employment, access to education due to closure of educational
institutions along with their physical and mental health to mention only
few significant areas.

The interaction between COVID-19 and youth education and subsequent

employment are most vital areas along with mental stress, anxiety, and
social isolation.

BISP Pakistan provided an effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic

and started different initiatives to cope with the Covid-19 Pandemic e.g.
emergency cash transfer, release of stipend to families with children
enrolled in schools in Waseela-e Taleem program without considering
attendance and providing emergency stipends.
As the BISP beneficiaries have on average 6.5 family size; therefore
BISP rapid response in shape of emergency cash transfer and Waseela-
e Taleem payments helped those families and indirectly assisted young
people residing in those families to cop up with economic stress and
other socio-economic stress indicators.
During Covid-19 special strategy has been devised according to Covid-
19 pandemic in which all necessary equipment provided to the field staff
where and when possible.
For example in Waseela-e Taleem program, attendance could not be
collected, so BISP WeT wing endorsed payments based on previous
attendance of enrolled children. Total approximate 3.1 Million children
paid advanced payments (both emergency/advance).
BISP WeT initiated Covid awareness related SOPs during Covid period
throughout Pakistan and implemented on approximate 2.5 lakh schools
all over Pakistan.
As COVID-19 has negatively impacted millions of individuals and has
disproportionately affected the young peoples. The lockdown in Pakistan
has impacted the livelihoods of 24.89 million workers. Given the average
Pakistani family size of 6.45, the resulting impact is on ~160 million
people or roughly two thirds of the country’s population.
To address the ensuing economic hardship and risk of hunger, the
Government of Pakistan allocated ~USD 1.23 billion to deliver one-time
emergency cash to 16.9 million families.
The Ehsaas Labour portal operating under the BISP supervision,
enabled COVID-19 job/livelihood-loss affectees(both young and old) to
seek Ehsaas Emergency Cash assistance.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash helped young peoples to cope with the Covid
stress period.
Special arrangements were made with regard to prevention against
spread of the virus. The number of cash points was increased, and
special campsites were arranged, where large numbers are managed
better than at retail points. District governments managed campsites and
oversaw queue management and implementation of COVID-19
prevention guidelines.
Each family was meant to receive Rs. 12,000 (~USD 75) for immediate
subsistence.
The impact of Ehsaas Emergency Cash and Waseela-e Taleem
emergency stipend had myriad and multitude beneficial effects on young
population e.g. millions of highly deserving individuals benefited at a very
critical time. Laborers (young and old) without work for weeks, domestic
servants mainly young people; hawkers forced out of work due to the
lockdown; hotels mostly young staff from otherwise busy hotels and
restaurants, sitting at home;, , industrial daily wagers laid off by their
employers; The Rs. 12,000 handouts to families brought stability and
comfort to millions of families and individuals.
Due to these pre-emptive initiatives taken by BISP and other Govt.
organization, the Economist Magazine's normalcy index declared
Pakistan amongst the best performing countries for handling Covid-19
with an 84.4 index score.