The impact of Covid-19 on food and nutrition security in Bangladesh

The Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has created a major health and economic crisis globally. As of April 11th, there were almost 1.7 million confirmed cases and more than 100,000 reported deaths due to the virus. The first Covid-19 case was confirmed in Bangladesh on March 8th. Schools were closed on March 16th. Localized lockdowns began on March 18th. Government and private offices were closed on March 26th and a ban on passenger travel via road, air, water or train was introduced on the same day. While these actions are expected to slow the spread of the virus, they may have substantial adverse effects on food and nutrition security. This study aims at understanding the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on economic activity on food and nutrition security in Bangladesh via phone surveys. It builds on two recent surveys, the 2019 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS), a rural representative survey and the 2019 Urban Socioeconomic Assessment Survey (USAS).