By Nawara Fattahova

Residents in lockdown areas face daily challenges, including short supplies of food and basic necessities, long queues and lack of income.

The densely populated areas Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and Mahboula were placed under lockdown in April and the original three-week timeline extended when the entire country was placed under a full curfew. Then when the curfew expired on May 30, these two areas were given an additional three weeks of lockdown along with Khaitan, Farwaniya and Hawally.

For those living in Jleeb and Mahboula, two months of total isolation has added to the fear, anxiety and frustration created by the global pandemic. Kuwait Times spoke with people living in all the locked down areas to hear their concerns and problems.

“I haven’t been able to leave the area for two months, so I feel frustrated. Also, I don’t have a car, and no transportation is available since the lockdown. And with the hot weather, it’s hard to walk for long periods. So for instance, I can’t bring the gas cylinder, and have to wait for the truck that delivers the cylinders. In two months, we only received it once,” Suhail, a resident of Jleeb, told Kuwait Times.



“Furthermore, I can’t go to the main co-op as it’s far, so I buy all my stuff from the baqala. Of course I don’t find all my needs, so sometimes my friends bring me some food. I live in block 2, and those who distribute meals don’t reach our block. My friends told me that food is distributed to around 1,500 people in other blocks.  Also, a truck with bread came two weeks ago, which is not enough, while before they were coming more frequently. My friends told me they waited two hours in the queue to enter the co-op,” he added.

In Mahboula, the biggest concerns are maintenance services, food supply and petrol. “My dishwasher has stopped working. When I called the service center in my area, he said he doesn’t have spare parts to fix it. I called various well-known electronics companies, but they had the same answer - our staff is not allowed to enter Mahboula,” said Khaled, a resident of Mahboula. “We also face problems withdrawing money, as not all ATM machines are functional. Only two are working and every day, there are long queues for these machines. Medical services are available as we have a field hospital, and I haven’t faced any difficulties in this regard,” he added.

But many residents complain of limited food supply in the markets and lack of access to petrol. Beyond access to commodities, many residents in Jleeb and Mahboula wonder why their areas remain under isolation. Only in the last week has the ministry of health listed new infection cases by area. Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh has consistently high numbers of new infection cases, with an average of 73.6 new cases daily for the last five days. Mahboula, in contrast, has listed among the top areas only once in the last five days, with 42 cases.

These figures do not tell how many positive infections as a percentage of all tests conducted in the area nor how many tests were conducted in the area in total. It is impossible to know the likely infection rate of the area without more information. The growing frustration, anxiety and anger among residents of these two long-isolated areas is, however, clear.

New to isolation

The other areas of isolation are still new to the experience and haven’t faced as many issues with regards to food and basic necessities. Khaitan, where tens of thousands of people live, has numerous supermarkets and has had no issues with lack of food supplies. “We don’t face difficulties buying foodstuff and necessary items, as all supermarkets operate 24/7, which relieves crowding,” explained Abu Abdullah, a resident of Khaitan.

But lack of work and income for the residents is adding psychological stress and worry to the situation. “Many residents in this area are laborers. With the lifting of the total curfew in the country, the companies where they work are back in operation, but they can’t go to work. So they have a big fear about how they will pay the rent if they don’t get their salaries,” Abu Abdullah added.

Ghanima, a resident of Hawally, said the situation there is good. “I only faced a problem with pharmacies, as they are not providing delivery services, and there is always a long queue in front of pharmacies. Also, I buy my stuff from the baqala to avoid the crowds in co-ops. My husband owns a store in Mubarakiya, and as the market is still closed, we are fine with the total isolation,” she told Kuwait Times.

Islam, another resident of Hawally, also assured that the situation is good in this area. “Everything is fine - I don’t need anything. In general, I haven’t experienced any crowds, especially since all grocery stores are working round the clock,” he said. Mustafa, a resident of Farwaniya also said that he hasn’t faced any shortages in foodstuff or services. He only noted that there is always a long queue in front of pharmacies.

For the thousands now out of work, the main concerns are rent and food costs. Several non-governmental and charity organizations are working with the ministry of social affairs to provide basic foodstuff to those in need, but the numbers far outstrip the capacity.