“The government has adopted a gradual and phased approach to reopen the country from May 1. About 1.5 million workers in selected industries return to work in the next phase under strict health conditions, according to Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel. Winter clothing, textile and packaging manufacturing are among the industries permitted to reopen factories.”
“The images from the neighbouring slums of Mooiplaas and Spruit, on the outskirts of the capital Pretoria, show the extent of need that South Africa’s economic lockdown has generated among many who even before the pandemic were living a hand-to-mouth existence.”
“Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to decelerate substantially in 2020 due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic… The latest World Bank Kenya Economic Update (KEU) predicts growth of 1.5 percent in 2020 in the baseline scenario, with a potential downside scenario of a contraction to 1.0 percent, if COVID-19 related disruptions in economic activity last longer.”
“For Hadiza Musa, 37, fending for her family each week was a struggle before the coronavirus. Since she lost her husband to an HIV-related illness in 2015, she has had to raise her three children in Nigeria’s city of Kaduna alone.”
“Trucking logistics firm Kobo360 said 30% of its fleet across Nigeria, Kenya, Togo, Ghana and Uganda was not operating as a result. Several farmers said crops were rotting in the fields or at the depots waiting for trucks that never arrive. And millers cannot get their milled rice to buyers.”
“An initial two-week lockdown has since been extended and, with cases still rising, it’s yet unclear if the lockdown will be lifted or eased soon. While the need for a lockdown might have seemed inevitable amid the COVID-19 outbreak, its abruptness (the government only gave citizens 24-hour notice), has left millions of low income households battling hunger.”
“Senegalese are suffering economically: 86.8 percent of respondents already reported a loss of income. There is some variability in this figure with poor people, people living outside Dakar and people with low levels of education more likely to report an income loss.”
“In many African states, food insecurity is a serious problem getting worse by the day. This week, international experts sounded the alarm about acute food shortages affecting some 135 million people, more than half of them Africans.”
“The food security implications of the COVID-19 pandemic is a ‘crisis within a crisis,’ said Abebe Haile-Gabriel, assistant director-general and regional representative for Africa at FAO, noting the importance of prioritizing protection of the food supply chain as a key part of the response to COVID-19.”
“While respondents may mostly feel like things are more secure at the moment, each day we seem to hear more fears that rising economic desperation will eventually result in a turn. People will need to steal just to eat, they say. They are already hearing about shops being robbed and wonder how long it will take until their own homes become targets.”
