On Dec. 27, Xi’an, the ancient capital of China, announced a new lockdown measure that forbids its 13 million residents to leave their homes. After the new measures came into effect, information started to emerge on social media, suggesting the city has sunk into a humanitarian crisis including a food shortage.
It’s the toughest measure Xi’an has undergone in an attempt to stomp out a surge in COVID-19 cases. It has been reported that on the second day of the city closure, food prices in Xi’an rose several times. Many Xi’an residents are pleading for help, saying that they are about to “die from starvation.”
The CCP’s inhumane way of fighting the outbreak
Under the double plague of COVID-19 and hemorrhagic fever, and due to the authorities’ ongoing cover-up and false reports, residents in Xi’an are in panic mode.
In order to stabilize the public’s mood, the Xi’an government posted on Weibo on the evening of Dec. 27, saying that there were six farmers’ markets and eight supermarkets in the most populated Chang’an District, which could guarantee the supply of daily necessities for the public.
The post on Weibo said that by the 27th, Chang’an District had accumulated 4,000 tons of rice, flour and oil, 2,300 tons of vegetables, and so on, which “basically can meet the needs of the masses” and told the public not to worry.
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However, on the morning of the 28th, many posts criticizing the authorities were seen on Weibo including messages asking for assistance from the public. Some said that the price of food had gone sky-high, and some had already run out of food.
“Xi’an is in a famine. The CCP’s model of fighting the pandemic is inhumane, and it dares to let the world copy its practice,” the tweet reads.
At the beginning of the city-wide lockdown, Xi’an authorities promised that “one person from each family could go out every two days to buy household supplies.” But on Dec. 28, 13 million people were asked to “stay home.”
A netizen wrote that other than crying, there was nothing one could do now. Another wrote, “The grain, oil, rice, and flour is said to be sufficient, but where can I buy it?” and, “I am not allowed to go out of the district. I am not fast enough to snatch it online. So where can I buy food? “
One said, “I’m dumbfounded.” Another said, “Every day at 8 o’clock, I’m waiting for the test numbers, hoping it would go down so I could go out. But the result is always disappointing.”
“I am about to run out of food but can’t buy any,” read another.
“Quarantine at home but the property management doesn’t care about the food supply. What should we do when we run out of stock? What if we starve to death?” commented another.
Ms. Wang from Yanta District in Xi’an said, “Our area is infected, and the roads are blocked everywhere, so no supplies can get through. We are short of vegetables, fruits, and meat. The pharmacies nearby are all closed, so we can’t buy any medicine.”
Another netizen complained: “We were told once the results of the nucleic acid came out, we could go outside. It’s fine if I have to stay home. But I can’t buy food from major apps. We cooperate with the government not to rush buy, and not to hoard food. This is what we get?”
The CCP regime is stubbornly enforcing its “COVID-zero” policy.
According to CCTV, China’s official media, Xi’an has set up more than 4,000 checkpoints and deployed more than 100,000 people to impose a complete lockdown on the metropolis of 13-million people..
One person said online, “I only have one packet of instant noodles left. I don’t know what I’ll do tomorrow.”
