#Rural life in middle east professional
For example, Australia has dedicated scholarships and professional development grants to encourage talents to study and work in rural areas in key professions, such as healthcare. Planned migration strategies specifically designed for rural areas need to be considered as well. In the long-term, it is imperative that investments are made in reskilling or upskilling local talents to fit local labor market requirements. Other countries, such as Canada and the US, have launched a variety of stimulus packages aimed specifically at small rural businesses to help them cover outstanding operating costs, such as rental fees, electricity bills and supplier costs. The Australian government has dedicated A$1 billion ($770 million) to support the regions, communities and sectors that have been affected by the pandemic. For example, many European countries have taken steps to ensure that basic services, such as drinking water, electricity, piped gas and telecommunications, are not interrupted in the event of nonpayment. Immediate financial assistance is essential for providing relief to rural communities, specifically to secure essential medical services, support rural businesses, provide subsidies for workers, distribute food vouchers, and offer cash transfers. Additionally, channeling local cooperatives or community support will be vital in the provision of various support mechanisms, such as operating food banks or helping seniors who cannot leave their homes. Short-term solutions could focus on the provision of mobile clinics or field hospitals to cater for rural areas where adequate facilities are lacking, such as what South Korea has done. Upgrading health and social care services in these regions is a critical step toward safeguarding the well-being of rural communities. Nonetheless, many governments have used this opportunity to make progress in this area and to provide sufficient support to mitigate the pandemic’s effects on rural regions. The pandemic has certainly brought to attention the lack of resilience in rural communities to tackle a crisis of this magnitude. And rural schools have been grappling with distance learning due to low investment in this area. With lower digital literacy compared to urban populations, these communities have been unable to access helpful digital services, such as telehealth consultations. Remote and sparsely located communities also make it logistically challenging to deliver the necessary support.įurthermore, the digital divide in rural areas is significant, with lower access to adequate broadband services. People are also forced to travel long distances to access their nearest health centers. Local health centers have limited capacities in terms of intensive care beds, medical equipment, the number of healthcare workers, and physicians with specialized skills. Furthermore, the infrastructure in rural communities is not well designed to handle crises.
Local lockdown restrictions have severely affected these industries, especially service-based activities, causing huge job and income losses in rural populations. Rural economies are also much less diversified, with industries concentrating on agriculture, fisheries, mining or tourism. This also explains why rural populations suffered pockets of high infection rates during the pandemic. Additionally, a large proportion of rural workers do essential jobs, while remote working is not an option due to the nature of their tasks.
Their populations tend to be smaller, with a large elderly segment that makes them particularly susceptible to developing complications as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Rural communities share a number of characteristics that make them especially vulnerable to the pandemic’s effects. Sadly, though, rural communities have been particularly vulnerable during this pandemic and have been subjected to disproportionate pressures compared to urban areas. It has been no surprise, then, that amid the coronavirus pandemic calamity, many people have flocked to the countryside in search of a haven. We have all been guilty of fantasizing about living in a pastoral idyll, surrounded by gorgeous countryside and basking in serenity.
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