“Closure of the Tunduma-Nakonde border in the fight against COVID-19 will deal a heavy blow to the economies of Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and - partly - Zimbabwe, analysts say, calling on swift resolution.”
“What are the consequences of the pandemic on the living conditions in African prisons?”
“Aid groups fear this ‘resource steal’ will result in other illnesses, from HIV and TB to malaria and dengue fever, being neglected as finite resources are diverted to deal with COVID-19, costing lives today and storing up huge problems for the future.”
“External deficits will likely persist despite significantly weaker domestic demand and import compression. Although SSA countries export a diverse range of commodities, prices for most major exports have fallen in recent months.”
“As a country-driven multi-stakeholder partnership and platform, the GFF supports governments in bringing partners together around a common set of priorities with focus on results; this leads to synergies being identified between IDA funding and the financing of other development partners, which enable the IDA financing to achieve more and stronger results in aggregate.”
“African countries are used to widespread testing for pathogens such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. This expertise can easily be adapted for SARS-CoV-2 testing. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention… held the first of its training sessions in early February. By mid-March, 43 countries had gained competence to test for the virus - if appropriate reagents were accessible. But they are not.”
“Disasters can transform conflict dynamics. Research shows that disasters such as COVID-19 can create opportunities for peace in conflict countries. For one, they can undermine the ability of conflict entrepreneurs to access conflict areas. This reduces incidents of violence. They can also create the conditions necessary for advancing peacebuilding processes in local communities.”
“As these two accounts suggest, for residents in Goma, COVID-19 poses a greater threat than EVD. In fact, in the case of COVID-19, citizens have not waited for funding from NGOs to raise awareness or take important preventative measures.”
“But cautious optimism should be the watchword - some experts claim that the disease is secretly coiling its way through African societies and that when it raises itself to its full dreadful height, a nightmare could ensue.”
“The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund today approved a disbursement under the Rapid Credit Facility equivalent to SDR 266.5 million (about US$363.27 million, or 25 percent of quota), to help the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) meet the urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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