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View all search resultsDiscourse: Indonesia must go back to basics for COVID-19 recovery: UN official
Vulnerable groups are those that are just a little above the poverty line and are prone to falling into poverty due to external shocks from the pandemic. It also includes women because not only do they work in the informal sector but they also have to share the burden of taking care of the family.
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he United Nation's secretary-general issued a policy brief on Thursday commending Southeast Asia for acting swiftly against COVID-19. But it warns that these early successes must be translated into addressing the serious socioeconomic setbacks that threaten to further deepen inequalities across the region. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) executive secretary Armida S. Alisjahbana talked with The Jakarta Post’s Made Anthony Iswara through a teleconference call about the report’s findings and recommendations for Indonesia’s COVID-19 response.
Question: UNESCAP's latest report highlights the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable groups in Southeast Asia. What are some of your concerns for Indonesia, specifically, on how the pandemic will affect the country in the months to come?
Answer: The impact, especially the socioeconomic impact, hits the vulnerable groups the hardest.
Vulnerable groups are those that are just a little above the poverty line and are prone to falling into poverty due to external shocks from the pandemic. It also includes women because not only do they work in the informal sector but they also have to share the burden of taking care of the family.
Other groups include people with disabilities and migrant workers, who are returning to the villages because there are no jobs in the city. And you can imagine, this is not only in Indonesia but also in all countries.
The pandemic might also have an extraordinary impact on education in Indonesia. Imagine how many students there are who have to suddenly go online but are not ready because they do not have access to enough electricity for their laptop use. Some of them do not even have mobile phones.
So aside from the socioeconomic impact, I specifically highlight that education especially concerns the younger generation – not only for Indonesia, of course. If it is prolonged with inequality in access to information and technology infrastructure, this pandemic will have a big impact. Therefore, we must pay special attention to this.
