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April 27, 2020: TIME BOMB: The Hunger Pandemic, powerful portraiture and stills-life's by ZUMA Press's award winning photojournalist MR Hasan illustrate what, the WFP (World Food Programme) Chief David Beasley, 63, warned the United Nations Security Council on April 21, 2020: 'Forgive me for speaking bluntly. COVID-19 is putting us on the brink of a hunger pandemic.' UN's Beasley, former South Carolina Governor, fresh off his own battle with the coronavirus, stated: 'famine will be of BIBLICAL proportions!' Mohammad Rakibul Hasan shows us the starvation threat for Bangladesh, showing people in juxtaposition, to their remaining limited food supply.
© zReportage Issue #734: April 27, 2020: TIME BOMB: The Hunger Pandemic, powerful portraiture and stills-life's by ZUMA Press's award winning photojournalist MR Hasan illustrate what, the WFP (World Food Programme Chief David Beasley, 63, warned the United Nations Security Council on April 21, 2020: 'Forgive me for speaking bluntly. COVID-19 is putting us on the brink of a hunger pandemic.' UN's Beasley, former South Carolina Governor, fresh off his own battle with the coronavirus, stated: 'famine will be of BIBLICAL proportions!' Mohammad Rakibul Hasan shows us the starvation threat for Bangladesh, showing people in juxtaposition, to their remaining limited food supply.
'Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but I'd like to lay out for you very clearly what the world is facing at this very moment. At the same time while dealing with a COVID-19 pandemic, we are also on the brink of a hunger pandemic.' Warning that worldwide famines are a time bomb of 'BIBLICAL' proportions, and are on the way! FILE PICTURE SHOT May 15, 2017 Geneva, Switzerland: DAVID BEASLEY, addresses a press conference in Geneva.
© Xu Jinquan/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire
Dhaka housemaid KULSUM BEGUM, 38, fears for her daughter RUNA BEGUM, 15, safety under lock down. The are wearing white and black masks for protection. She is looking for food aid since the day her employer dismissed her. As a single parent she is unable to provide enough and now both mother and daughter are almost starving daily basis.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
SIULI BEGUM, 22, survived an abusive marriage and moved to Dhaka with her son MEHEDI BEGUM, 3. A house maid, Siuli is not able to work, due to lock down. At present she has almost no food supply to left, nothing for either to eat tomorrow. When her child cries for food she gives him biscuit as there is little rice, left in the house.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
House maid HAMIDA BEGUM, 37 wearing blue mask and a glove for protection, and her day laborer husband, both are now jobless. The little food supply they have now won't last in their five members family. Hamida Begum said, 'We only have forty taka now. We have to drink poison, if we cannot go out for work. Who will save us from hunger?'
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
Top: Dhaka housemaid KULSUM BEGUM (38) fears for her daughter RUNA's (15). The food they have for their household includes lentils, rice, cooking oil, potatoes, onions, garlic, chillies and one tomato. Center: SIULI BEGUM (22) survived an abusive marriage and moved to Dhaka with her son MEHEDI (3). The food they have includes oil, lentils, potatoes, onions, chillies. Bottom: 37 years old HAMIDA BEGUM works as house maid. She and her daily laborer husband both are now jobless. Thier only food includes rice, chillies, onions and potatoes.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
SHIPLI RANI SHIULI, 35, lost her job after Government announced lockdown in Bangladesh. The are wearing blue mask for protection, as she combs her hair with a mirror. She is the sole breadwinner and takes care of her two sons since her husband left her. She has little groceries that will last for maximum two days now. With no income she has no idea how she will be able to manage food for coming days.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
KHADIZA BEGUM (38) is carrying her daughter SUMAIYA (2). She along with her husband sells pickles in the street. After lock down they are not able to go outside to work. As soon as they are out of income, they are now left without food supply. After paying 4000-taka house rent they now have no money left to buy daily grocery or food supply.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
30-years old KULSUM BEGUM is struggling with her three children since her husband died last year. After lock down she is staying at home and lost her housemaid job. Only food her family has is insufficient to run a few days. She has no one in the city that can help her to survive.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
Top: 35 years old SHIPLI RANI SHIULI lost her job after Government announced lockdown in Bangladesh. The food she has includes rice, chillies, potatoes, onions and beans. Center: KHADIZA BEGUM (38) is carrying her daughter SUMAIYA (2). She along with her husband sells pickles in the street. Her household food includes only oil, potatoes, rice, chillies and onions. Bottom: 30-years old KULSUM BEGUM is struggling with her three children since her husband died last year. The only food they have includes rice, oil, lentils, chillies, potatoes, onions and tomatoes.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
FIROZA BEGUM (50) has been working as house maid for last thirty years. This is first time due to lock down she is unable to work. Her two sons lost their job recently. Like other slum dwellers she and her family are struggling for daily food supply. Firoza with her two grandchildren FAHIMA (left) and SELINA (right) are feeling uncertain about their future. She doesn't know when they will be able to eat a regular 3 meals a day again.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
Textile worker HELENA BEGUM (35) lost her job as her factory layoff last month. She along her five years old daughter Shakiba and elderly mother are now staying half feed almost every day. Helena's husband left the family after she gave birth to a daughter. She has no one to help her with loan or temporary aid.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
AKLIMA (35) is standing with her one and half year-old daughter SUBORNA in their one bed-room slum house. She sends her three children in the village as they are unable to manage food for the family now. Every morning she along her rickshaw puller husband and child are only drinking water. With little food left she can only cook once a day.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
Top: FIROZA BEGUM (50) with her two grandchildren FAHIMA (left) and SELINA (right) are feeling uncertain about their future. The food she has to feed her family is only a small amount of rice, potatoes, onions, oil and garlic. Center: Textile worker HELENA BEGUM (35) lost her job as her factory layoff last month. Her food includes some rice, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, onions, beans and root vegetables. Bottom: AKLIMA (35) is standing with her one and half year-old daughter SUBORNA in their one bed-room slum house. The food she has for her household onion, garlic, banana, potatoes, some oil, rice and root vegetables.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
SAHARA KHATUN, 60, has one son, who works in a hospital as a clerical worker. He stops going to work since the hospital is now locked down for virus outbreak. Now Sahara with her disable husband is spending days of uncertainty and starvation. The little food supplies the family possess will run a day or two.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
House maid KOHINOOR BEGUM and her security guard husband ABUL KASHEM both are now staying at home. Due to the lockdown Kohinoor lost her job. The only house they had in their village collapsed into river during floods. Since their three years living in Dhaka they never faced such poverty and hardship before. With little food supply and thirty-taka cash their five members family fear to starve in coming days.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
40-years old ANOWARA BEGUM works as house maid. She and her rickshaw puller husband can no longer work due to lock down. They along their three children are eating once a day to save their remaining food supplies. She calls her previous employer for help with food aid. If the lock down continues, she fears her family will end up in the street to beg or to die.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
Top: SAHARA KHATUN's (60) with her disabled husband are enduring days of uncertainty and starvation. The food she has left is chilies, potatoes, onions, small fish, a carrot and some oil. Center: House maid KOHINOOR BEGUM and her security guard husband ABUL KASHEM both are now staying at home. Their only food left is rice, onions, chilies, eggs, some oil and garlic. Bottom: 40-years old ANOWARA BEGUM works as house maid. She and her rickshaw puller husband can no longer work due to lock down. The food she has left is: rice, oil, tomatoes, chilies and onions.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
This is the remaining food supply for the household of 40-years old Anowara Begum it includes only some cooking oil, onions, rice and chillies.
© Mohammad Rakibul Hasan/ZUMA Wire
Mohammad Rakibul Hasan

Mohammad Rakibul Hasan is a documentary photographer, filmmaker and visual artist. Hasan holds an Undergraduate Certificate in Higher Education in History of Art from Oxford University, pursued a Postgraduate Diploma in Photojournalism from Ateneo de Manila University and also graduated in Film & Video Production from UBS Film School at the University of Sydney. He was nominated for many international awards and won hundreds of photographic competitions worldwide including Lucie Award the Oscar of Photography, Human Rights Press Award and Allard Prize. (Credit Image: © Suvra Kanti Das/ZUMA Wire):734


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