Asuncion, April 8 (RHC)-- Paraguay's government provided less than 15 percent of the foreseen economic help announced as a palliative due to the COVID-19 crisis.

According to National Emergency Secretariat (SEN), 41,662 Paraguayan families received economical help under the Ñandereko Food Security Program.  Also, it stated 35,775 families received food coupons and 5,877 food kits in Alto Paraguay. Even when the figures seemed promising, the help coverage is only for 12.6% of the 330 000 families waiting for help and benefits.

Given the proportion of 12.6%, it will take 198 days to cover all the ones in need. This time-lapse, 6 months, would extend the waiting period until November.  Many of the less solvent families need help in the short term because labor downturn due to enforced social isolation to prevent COVID-19.

Joaquin Roa, SEN’s Minister, affirmed that the institution handed the beneficiaries list to the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat, with more than 27,000 identifications.  As Roa explained, more than 35,500 beneficiaries were noticed and included in the welfare program, but the information keeps updating until it reaches all families.

He said that the list will be updated as the list of 1,000,000 applicants to date is analyzed, verified and refined until it reaches 330,000 beneficiaries so that the transfers can adequately reach the vulnerable families that were affected by the COVID-19 health crisis.