Impacts of Pandemics Caused by COVID-19 and Welfare Provisions of the State on the Lives of Laborers in Nepal

The spread of COVID-19 throughout the world is globally accepted as the epidemic that has recently been alarming in Asia particularly India, and Nepal. More than 500 new cases of transmission daily are reported in Nepal. And the number of deaths by COVID-19 rose sharply at more than 39 people within the last few weeks and reached around 600 people in total. Various reports, studies and even WHO have revealed that Nepal is gradually moving to the peak of the effects of the pandemics leading to a big economic, social and humanitarian crisis soon. The number of infected people and death has been rapidly increased in a short span of time in Nepal which indicates it may be prone to disaster in Nepal if the government, policy makers, international supporters and general public are not conscious and coordinated, participated in the combined efforts for combating the current pandemics. This research explores the impacts of COVID19 on the lives of community people particularly daily based laborers and low scale self employees in Nepal. Besides, it examines the welfare intervention of the state for the victimized sections of the community in the pandemic situation. Due to the national wide lockdown and fear of pandemics, the secondary sources of data have been collected and analyzed with the explanatory and descriptive research methods. Due to the long period of lockdown, food shortage and its impacts on public health and social disorder have been increasing. It is no doubt that the laborers particularly domestic daily wage and informal economy based, self employed and migrant workers are most vulnerable and prone to the chronic humanitarian crisis due to the impacts of current global pandemics by COVID-19. The impact is alarming in Nepal, however, low and middle class laborers are more victimized mentally, physically, socially, economically, and politically. The government has attempted its optimum efforts for fighting against the pandemics through welfare instruments. However, the efforts are largely criticized as paralyzed. Thus, the huge impacts and potential threats on human health particularly mental health by the current pandemics impair the whole economic sector leading to social disorder and conflict in Nepal. Corrective measures have to be urgently applied.