News & Analysis: Somalia
“The African Development Bank today approved grants worth $25.1 million to Somalia to bolster the national budget for government efforts to mitigate national and regional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a $55 million International Development Assistance grant to support Somalia’s economic recovery through continued fiscal and other economic policy reforms. The policies will strengthen fiscal management and promote inclusive private sector-led growth.”
“In Africa, it was hoped that movement restrictions and fear of infection might halt fighting, creating space for dialogue in even the most intractable conflicts. Yet… tracking activity over the past 10 weeks, ACLED found that conflict rates held steady across the continent, but patterns of violence have shifted as armed groups and governments take advantage of the pandemic to make moves on political priorities.”
“Borderlands are especially vulnerable to the negative impacts of disease control measures, in particular those that restrict movement and hinder informal trade. In the haste to combat the disease, these measures are not always justified by an analysis of the trade-offs between protecting public health and ensuring that people are able to meet their basic food and protection needs.”
“The shortage of medical expertise, equipment and facilities stands in stark contrast to the powers of law enforcement and security that have been exercised under the pretext of combatting the pandemic. This has laid the groundwork for a rise in police brutality, overreach, harassment, intimidation, corruption and violence.”
“For those of us working on conflict, security and development, this pandemic is overlaid onto already extremely volatile environments where conflict and humanitarian emergencies intersect.”
“Mehul Shah from Ultra Red Technologies, a 3D printing company in Nairobi, said he and his partner Neeval Shah quickly realised they could be ‘first responders’ in producing locally-made equipment. In only three days they put together a working design for 3D-printed face shields made up of a visor that clips onto a plastic sheet. They currently produce around 500 a day.”
“Officially, Kano has reported 753 cases and 33 deaths attributed to the virus. But in reality, the metropolis is experiencing a major, unchecked outbreak, according to doctors and public health experts. It could be one of the continent’s worst.”
“Kenya has closed its borders with Somalia and Tanzania as the country strives to stem further spread of the coronavirus. In a televised address to the nation on Saturday, President Uhuru Kenyatta said he was imposing more measures after it emerged that some of the cases had crossed the border from Tanzania and Somalia.”
“The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a $137.5 million International Development Association grant to help Somalia respond to and recover from multiple, ongoing, and overlapping crises.”
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