By Ben Garcia
KWAIT: During the total lockdown, people are stuck with family, friends and even alone for 22 hours, and only allowed to walk and breathe the fresh air from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. “I bought some food good for a few days. I don’t know if it would even last for 20 days. I have canned food, some whole chickens and some fresh and frozen veggies, knowing that we will be at home for some time,” said June, a resident of Salmiya block 9.

“One thing is for sure. If I don’t buy food in the next few days, the stocks will be over. I don’t want to buy anything until the curfew is over, but I have two kids. I will cook just enough for us so it can last a few days,” she said. “On the first day of lockdown at 4:30 pm, I went around my neighborhood to see if baqalas were open; unfortunately they were all closed, so I am very concerned now,” she said, referring to the period in which walking exercise is allowed daily.
The problem is compounded for those under lockdown for many weeks in Mahboula and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Janet, an assistant teacher in an English school in Kuwait, lives with her three fellow teachers in Mahboula, with very limited stocks in their fridge.

Double lockdown
“We are used to the lockdown, but this is a double lockdown for us. We are surviving because our embassy is providing us with some supplies. For the next 20 days, we only have three whole chickens left, a few cans of food, and thank God 10 kg of rice. We will try to use our few remaining supplies slowly till the end of the month,” she said. “Maybe we will cook less and less every day. We need to survive these trying times and we hope everything will be fine.”
Janet also expects food supplies will be added more to deliveries to people who are in the lockdown areas for weeks. “We have been suffering for long. They are distributing food, but supplies are not enough for many; that is why you see the long queue of people when they are distributing food, because they all want something. We Filipinos don’t queue because we know it’s not even enough for the people waiting in the long queue every day. There is also the possibility you will get the coronavirus in the queue since there is no social distancing,” she said.
Vijay, an Indian restaurant worker, has not been paid since March. He said he is surviving with the support of his friends. He is a “bachelor” and has been living with a Filipino family in a flat in Salmiya. “I am surviving because of friends who are supplying some food for weeks. I only eat whatever is given to me as I have no more money,” he said.
Kuwait has offered a grocery shopping service during curfew, which can be accessed by making an appointment online at www.moci.shop to shop at co-operative societies or supermarkets located in the shopper’s same area of residence. An appointment can be made once every six days for a 30-minute shopping period. The government had reassured the public that supplies at local markets were efficient to meet demand during the curfew period which lasts until May 30.