ZIMBABWE: UN Launches Virus Aid Plan

Abstract

International support is needed to prevent the country plunging deeper into hunger. Hours after President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a two‐week extension to the lockdown introduced on March 30th, police began pulling down stalls set up by informal traders in townships across the country. Security agencies in the country are using the lockdown to crack down on dissent and protest at the current economic crisis, notes Africa Confidential (20/4). The impact of the pandemic could be catastrophic for the country, which has a poor healthcare system. The economy has been in a slump for more than a decade, experiencing multiple climate and economic related shocks including chronic shortages of cash, fuel, medicines and food. International pressures have weakened the already flailing re‐introduced Zimbabwe dollar, now trading at well less than half its official exchange rate of Z$25=US$1. Officially banned, the parallel market is back as confidence in the new local currency crashes. Negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) broke down over policy reforms and clearing arrears on foreign debt. After getting some funds from the European Union (EU), the government is trying to secure $400m for bringing in emergency food supplies. On April 2nd Zimbabwe launched a US$2bn appeal for humanitarian assistance from both domestic and international donors to assist the country's response to Covid‐19, ZBC radio reported (2/4). On the same day, the Zimbabwean authorities and the United Nations (UN) launched an emergency humanitarian plan worth US$715m to help a third of the country's population, threatened by famine and coronavirus. Targeting 5.6m people, the plan prioritises food aid, water and sanitation, health, education and shelter among other life‐saving and life‐sustaining support to vulnerable people, including the residual humanitarian needs of Cyclone Idai‐affected communities and ongoing support to refugees. “Today the COVID‐19 Pandemic is the latest shock impacting on the well‐being and livelihoods of Zimbabweans,” AFP (2/4) reported Sirak Gebrehiwot, UN Communications specialist in Zimbabwe as saying. But “food insecurity remains the major concern with over 4.3m people, or 46% of the rural population, requiring continued assistance”. An estimated 7m people in the country need multi‐sectoral humanitarian support according to the UN and rising urban vulnerability has left some 2.2m people food insecure. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) says it urgently needs $130m to sustain through August an emergency operation to prevent millions of the most vulnerable plunging deeper into hunger, africabusinesscommunities.com reported (8/4). “With most Zimbabweans already struggling to put food on the table, the pandemic risks even wider and deeper desperation,” said Eddie Rowe, WFP's Country Director. “We must all do our utmost to prevent this tragedy turning into a catastrophe.” WFP is planning to assist 4.1m people in April, although insufficient funding has prevented it achieving the same monthly target since the turn of the year. In March, it reached 3.7m of the most vulnerable Zimbabweans. The $130m being urgently sought by WFP is part of a total food assistance sector requirement of $472m through December. Cereal production in 2019 was half that of 2018, and less than half the national requirement. Experts predict that the upcoming 2020 harvest will be even poorer. Most food is produced by subsistence farmers dependent on a single, increasingly unreliable rainy season. WFP is pre‐positioning three months of food and cash assistance, rolling out new risk‐control measures at distributions – increasing their number to prevent overcrowding, initiating handwashing and monitoring social distancing and launching a communications campaign to convey essential health and safety information. (Sources as referenced in text) Cushioning Allowance: Government has approved a $200 once‐off cushioning allowance for needy people during the 21‐day national lockdown period, NewsDay reported. Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister Paul Mavima said in a post‐cabinet media briefing in Harare on April 7th the facility would benefit at least 1m people, with beneficiaries receiving their money via OneMoney wallet, a mobile money transfer platform operated by mobile network operator, NetOne. “It will be $200 per individual, so if there are four people at a particular household, they will get $800,” Mayima explained. (Newsday 7/4) Water Crisis Could Sabotage Lockdown: Meanwhile coronavirus has brought Harare's perennial water woes under the spotlight; some parts of the city have gone for almost two decades without running water. The well‐to‐do have drilled boreholes in their properties while the enterprising make money vending and delivering water in mobile tankers to those who can afford it. For the majority, public boreholes are the only option. Social distancing instructions will not be easy to follow. “We have heard about the coronavirus but we need water for domestic use, so corona or no corona we shall come to get water,” said one woman carrying a yellow bucket in a long queue in Harare's middle‐class Mabelreign suburb. The scene is played out all over greater Harare. Across town in Mbare, the largest high‐density township, the queue is even longer. (© AFP 31/3 2020) Collapsing economy p. 22901A IN BRIEF Benin: Komi Koutche, the opposition leader and former minister of state under Boni Yayi, who is currently in exile in the US, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined CFA francs 500m for misappropriating public funds. His conviction was based on his tenure as the managing director of the National Microcredit Fund. Koutche's lawyer presented a letter apologising for his client's absence explaining that due to Covid‐19 in the US, where he resides, he is under lockdown. (Radio France Internationale 5/4) Burundi: While strict lockdowns have brought life to a halt in cities across Africa, restaurants and bars remain open in Burundi, with authorities ruling out similar curbs on citizens’ freedoms. Weddings and funerals are proceeding, thousands of faithful are flocking to churches and mosques, and bustling markets remain open and trading. Land borders have been shut to Rwanda and DR Congo. Only its border with Tanzania remains open, an economic lifeline allowing for heavy vehicles and imports to pass. (© AFP 10/4 2020) Cameroon: Cameroon Tribune (1/4) reported that President Paul Biya has established a CFA francs 1bn solidarity fund in response to the Covid‐19 pandemic. On April 2nd the newspaper reported that one of the first people to contribute money into the fund was businessman, El Hadj Baba Danpullo, who put in CFA F100m. Danpullo has been profiled by Forbes as the richest man in Francophone Africa. (BBC Monitoring 4/4) CAR: Addressing parliament on April 8th Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada announced that the country was counting on a budget amounting to CFAf 133,486,544,990 (over US$221m) for the coronavirus response plan. Ngrebada said “this amount could increase after the adoption of the national action plan for responding to the coronavirus pandemic”. According to the COD‐2020 (Democratic Opposition Coalition), there is lack of transparency in the management of financial support allocated by external partners in the fight against Covid‐19. (Network of Journalists for Human Rights 9/4) Chad: The government has adopted a contingency plan for an initial amount of CFAf 15bn ($25m), intended for the acquisition of equipment for the care of potential Covid‐19 patients,. A Special Fund for the fight against the coronavirus which will be funded by the state, contributions from partners and others. In order to reinforce the stocks of the National Food Security Office (ONASA), CFAf 25bn is needed. The Treasury has already made an initial disbursement of CFAf 5bn to enable the initial purchase of food supplies. The president has told relevant ministries to set up a National Solidarity and Support Fund for Vulnerable Populations as soon as possible, so as to expand and strengthen social safety nets throughout the country to cover other provinces that were previously left out of current projects and programmes. He said he had no doubt that this CFAf 100bn Solidarity Fund would be supported by all partners. (Alwihda website 14/4) Republic of Congo: Some Congolese traders on March 23rd deplored the loss of income in view of the measures taken by the government to fight against Covid‐19. The government has taken a series of measures prohibiting the opening of bars and places of worship in order to prevent the spread of the virus. It has also banned sporting events and gatherings of more than 50 people throughout the country. Public and private schools and institutions of higher education are also closed, as are all land, river, sea and air borders, with the exception of cargo flights and ships. (PANA 24/3) Eritrea: Eritrea on April 1st ordered citizens to remain in their homes for 21 days from April 2nd. Since announcing its first case of coronavirus on March 21st, the government has already banned commercial flights, closed schools and halted public transport. But these steps have been “vexingly inadequate”, the taskforce said, urging “much more stringent measures”. The April 1st statement spelled out a number of exceptions, including for those working in “major productive and service sectors” like manufacturing, food processing and construction. Grocery stores, pharmacies and banks will continue to operate during the day. Citizens are allowed to seek food and medical treatment provided that no more than two people from a household go out at any given time. The statement acknowledged that the rules would inflict “considerable hardships on the daily lives of citizens”. (© AFP 1/4 2020) Ethiopia: Ethiopia on April 8th declared a state of emergency to fight the coronavirus pandemic. It was not immediately clear how the state of emergency would affect day‐to‐day life; the government had so far refrained from imposing a lockdown similar to those in effect elsewhere in the region. Since reporting its first COVID‐19 case on March 13th, Ethiopia has closed land borders and schools, freed thousands of prisoners to ease overcrowding, sprayed main streets in the capital with disinfectant, and discouraged large gatherings. But Abiy said in early April that a harsher lockdown would be unrealistic given that there are “many citizens who don't have homes” and “even those who have homes have to make ends meet daily”. (© AFP 8/4 2020) Ethiopia has resumed cross‐country public transport. Following the outbreak, four regional states – Tigray, Oromia, Amhara and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples ‐ had imposed a ban on all cross‐country and inter‐city public transportation. (Twitter 16/4) Ghana: As cases of Covid‐19 rose and the capital Accra endured its third week of a partial lockdown, local NGOs, churches and businesses stepped up campaigns to feed the most vulnerable. But despite the interventions, there are fears of short and long‐term repercussions for more than a half‐million urban poor. Abdul‐Mujib Salifu, a programme manager with the NGO People's Dialogue on Human Settlements, said that he fears for those in the informal settlements, who usually sell or carry goods in the markets, which are now largely closed due to the lockdown. Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture officials are receiving assistance from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and other Rome‐based food agencies. The FAO's deputy regional representative for Africa, Jocelyn Brown Hall, says the FAO, World Food Programme (WFP) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reviewed the ministry's plan and found it to be on target. (AP 14/4) Guinea: The government has reduced fuel prices amid anxiety over Covid‐19. The measure, which came into force on April 1st fixes the price of petroleum products at Guinean francs 9,000 a litre (US cents 90). These products include petrol, gas oil and kerosene. On March 30th transporters were in the street to demonstrate against the restrictions placed on the number of passengers that a [public] transport vehicle should carry, without any mitigating measure, namely a reduction in fuel prices. (Guineenews website 31/3) Madagascar: To prevent the rapid spread of coronavirus, President Andry Rajoelina announced on April 5th the extension of the lockdown for another 15 days in the three affected provinces, Toamasina I and II, and Fianarantsoa. Committees would be set up in neighbourhoods to consolidate the fight against the pandemic and ensure the proper management of humanitarian aid in every neighbourhood. All types of public transport (taxi, bush taxi and minibus taxis) are prohibited, except for the transport of goods and the transport of personnel in the private sector. Local markets are closed. (Madagascar Tribune 6/4) Mali: President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has announced a coronavirus aid package for poor people and hard‐hit firms amid the coronavirus crisis. The president warned on April 10th that the country's already war‐battered economy was facing a shock and declared a package worth some CFAf 500bn ($832m). Warning of the steep economic costs associated with the pandemic, Keita said that the government would shoulder water and electricity bills for the poorest people in April and May, among other measures. The government would also distribute 56,000 tonnes of grain in food aid and 16,000 tonnes of animal feed, he added, and allow tax rebates for firms hit hard by the virus. (© AFP 11/4 2020) Mauritania: At the heart of the government's response to Covid‐19 is the creation of a US$70m ‘solidarity fund’. But the wider economic impact of the pandemic has already hit home with a delay to the giant offshore gas project that was set to generate extra revenue in the run‐up to President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani's likely re‐election campaign in 2024. The slump in world energy prices caused by the pandemic has led BP to declare force majeure and postpone delivery of the Liquefied Natural Gas vessel being built to process output from the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim field. The project, set to diversify Mauritania's exports and sources of government revenue, was due to start production in 2022, but the postponement will probably last at least a year. This is a setback for Ghazouani's hopes to finance his reform agenda. Having stressed the need to tackle inequality during his campaign in June 2019, he had recently announced a priority programme of investment in schools, livelihoods for young people and poor families and transport infrastructure budgeted at Ouguiya 41bn (US$1bn). That now risks painful pruning or delay as the government braces for economic losses. (Africa Confidential 16/4) Namibia: The economy is estimated to lose Namibian dollars 10bn (US$549.2m) in five weeks, as the government extended the national lockdown by another two weeks, until May 4th. This is based on an estimated N$2bn (US$109.8m) loss a week, revealed by the government on April 14th. The weekly losses would translate to approximately N$10bn for the duration of the lockdown, including the first 21 days. At a briefing, Finance Minister Iipumbu Shiimi said most economic activities were hibernating, but in order to strike the right balance between protecting lives and the economy, some operations, including mining, are allowed to continue subject to meeting health requirements and safeguards approved by the Health Ministry. Analysts at Cirrus Capital took to Twitter saying their estimate suggests that the economy is working at approximately 40% to 45% of its productive capacity. Based on 2019 figures, gross domestic product (GDP) per week was N$3.42bn. So 55% to 60% of that (the lost GDP) is N$1.88bn to N$2.05bn per week, their post read. The Bank of Namibia had estimated that for 2020, the Namibian economy would grow by 1.5% to reach a GDP figure of N$209bn, but with the virus rampant, a revision is due. (The Nambian 15/4) São Tomé e Príncipe: The drop in tourist activity as a result of border closures and flight cancellations, is expected to lead to one of the biggest reductions in economic activity in Africa, according to estimates from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). A UNECA report shows that one possible solution for the government of the archipelago is to secure a boost to the financial programme that is currently in place from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and debt renegotiation, given the serious imbalances in the economy. The crisis, the report said, is also expected to lead to delays in the development of oil exploration projects in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), especially considering that the main development partner for this will be Equatorial Guinea, a country that is also faced with a deep economic crisis. (macauhub.com 26/3) Sierra Leone: President Maada Bio announced a year‐long state of emergency on March 25th despite no confirmed coronavirus cases during a televised address. He said, “This is not a lockdown and nobody must use this as an excuse to hoard goods, hike prices or engage in acts of lawlessness,” said Maada Bio. (Radio France Internationale 25/3) However, on April 1st he declared a three‐day lockdown after the authorities recorded a second coronavirus case in the country. All religious gatherings were banned, and land borders had been shut. (© AFP 1/4 2020) Somalia: Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre has ordered the release of federal funds to help regional administrations and Banaadir (Mogadishu) to curb the spread of Covid‐19 after several states confirmed cases of the virus, state‐owned Somali National TV (SNTV) reported. He asked the Finance Ministry to release $1m to each of the regional administrations to be used in the fight against Covid‐19. The country confirmed its first case of coronavirus on March 16th; 35 new cases were recorded on April 13th in Mogadishu and parts of south and central Somalia. On April 14th, Somalia's southern Jubbaland state confirmed two cases of Covid‐19. (Somali national TV 14/4) Tanzania: The government has set up a task force to evaluate the economic impact of coronavirus and come up with interventions to cushion Tanzanians. Minister for Finance and Planning Dr Philip Mpango told parliament that Tanzania had already started feeling adverse effects of the pandemic. He said the government was still discussing with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on how citizens can benefit from the institutions’ emergency programmes in fighting the coronavirus pandemic (see p. 22937). The minister cited some of the steps already taken such as reserving enough food in the country and budgetary steps like cutting down on expenditure. Other steps include rehabilitating transport infrastructure so that people can easily be reached in the villages. Other steps are tax and income‐related in order to give relief to the private sector. The third step is to protect the finance sector with the aim of ensuring that the banks continue to have enough funds, enough foreign currency reserves, firming up an increase in small loans and help banks improve on their plans for loan repayments. (mwananchi 7/4) Togo: President Faure Gnassingbe on April 1st declared a three‐month “state of emergency” and curfew aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus. A fund worth $650m was aimed at cushioning the economy from the impact of the crisis, the president said. (© AFP 2/4 2020) Uganda: President Museveni on March 30th ordered an immediate 14‐day nationwide lockdown. The previous week it had banned public transport and sealed its borders and urged the population to stay home, but stopped short of a full shutdown. Shopping malls and businesses selling non‐food items were ordered to close. On April 1st, Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda announced the government would “start providing relief food to the most vulnerable and affected by measures to combat Covid‐19,” initially targeting 1.5m people living in and around Kampala. He said orphanages, hospitals and barracks would be given priority. Beneficiaries will be given sugar, milk, maize flour and beans. Distributions began on April 4th, but a senior government emergency management official conceded the food provided was “a tiny fraction of what is necessary” and expressed concern that the Local Defence Unit (LDU) was taking part in the exercise. Responsible for enforcing a curfew aimed at stopping social gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, LDUs have earned a reputation for violent extortion while conducting nighttime patrols. A few days into the lockdown, many Ugandans, who live hand‐to‐mouth, were struggling to buy food. In late March, opposition leaders began their own small‐scale relief efforts, prompting Museveni to deride them as “shameless opportunists” and “enemies of Uganda and Africa” for encouraging gatherings which would breach social distancing guidelines. Museveni threatened to charge anyone distributing food outside of government structures with “attempted murder” because they encouraged crowds to form. (© AFP 30/3, 4/4 2020)