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Initiatives Leading Africa’s COVID-19 Recovery Efforts

COVID-19 Recovery Efforts in Africa
The global economy has felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly, with developing countries, particularly in Africa, bearing the brunt of this crisis. The pandemic pushed millions of Africans into extreme poverty and further widened the gap between the rich and the poor. Africa’s COVID-19 recovery efforts aim to reverse the adverse effects of the pandemic on the continent.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Developing Countries

A recent report by the World Bank reveals that 696 million people, or 9.3% of the global population, lived below the poverty line in 2021, surviving on less than $1.90 per day. Experts expect the world economy will grow less than 3% in 2023, down from 3.4% in 2022., increasing the risk of hunger and poverty globally. They also predict that COVID-19 will raise extreme poverty by 0.9% in 34 countries and by 1.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Widening Inequality in Africa

Nigeria: Before the pandemic, 40% of the country’s population lived below the poverty line. The economic fallout from COVID-19 has further strained the country’s fragile health care system, with six out of 10 Nigerians struggling to access basic health care services.

Kenya: The pandemic has caused job losses and food insecurity in the country. The closure of businesses and disruption of global supply chains have hit the Kenyan economy hard, and the World Bank projects the country’s economic growth to slow down to 5% in 2023.

South Africa: The continent’s most industrialized nation has experienced rising unemployment and worsening poverty levels, exposing deep-rooted socioeconomic inequalities. At the end of 2022, there were approximately 500,000 fewer jobs in the country than in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions into poverty, and by 2022, South Africa had a poverty rate of 63%. According to a World Bank report, South Africa is the world’s most unequal country, with just 10% of the population owning more than 80% of the wealth.

Solutions and Initiatives Driving Africa’s COVID-19 Recovery Efforts

To address these issues, governments, NGOs and international organizations are implementing various initiatives aimed at providing immediate relief and fostering long-term development.

The World Bank: In April 2020, the World Bank announced its $160 billion COVID-19 emergency response, planning to distribute the funds over a period of 15 months. Some of the countries that have received financial support include Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. The funds have been used to strengthen health care systems, support businesses and provide social safety nets for vulnerable populations. Specific projects include supplying medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE), increasing the number of health care workers and delivering cash transfers to affected households. The World Bank has also collaborated with other international organizations, such as the IMF, to provide debt relief to the poorest countries, enabling them to focus resources on fighting the pandemic. As of September 2021, the World Bank has provided COVID-19 emergency support to more than 100 countries, making this response the largest crisis response in the organization’s history.

The African Development Bank (ADB): In April 2020, the ADB launched its $10 billion COVID-19 Response Facility. This initiative has led to several measurable outcomes, including providing budget support to countries like Nigeria, which received a $288.5 million loan to strengthen its health care infrastructure and increase social spending. The facility has also enabled 1.3 million people across Africa to access electricity, created 1.8 million jobs and provided millions of people with agricultural technologies to improve food security. The ADB aims to continue supporting Africa’s COVID-19 recovery efforts by financing infrastructure projects, promoting regional economic integration and increasing access to quality health care and education.

Local Projects and Community-driven Efforts Donate Resources

Grassroots organizations, such as the Lagos Food Bank Initiative (LFBI) in Nigeria, the Solidarity Fund in South Africa and the Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) in Kenya, are working to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on impoverished populations.

LFBI, founded in 2016, focuses on providing food assistance and nutrition education to vulnerable communities. The organization has reached more than 2,000,000 beneficiaries and provided more than 2 million meals since its inception. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LFBI increased food distribution efforts and launched a door-to-door delivery program to ensure families receive the support they need.

Established in March 2020, the Solidarity Fund aims to mobilize resources to combat the pandemic and support the nation’s health response. The organization has raised more than $200 million, which has been used to purchase PPE, ventilators and other essential medical equipment for health care facilities. Additionally, it has supported food relief programs, providing food parcels to vulnerable communities.

Launched in 2004, SHOFCO is a grassroots movement in Kenya that works to improve urban slums through community-led initiatives, including education, health care and economic empowerment programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SHOFCO provided more than 1.5 million liters of free water to communities through its water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program. The organization has also set up handwashing stations and distributed hygiene products, such as soap and sanitizer. Through its education program, SHOFCO has reached more than 700,000 individuals with COVID-19 prevention information and awareness campaigns.

Africa Takes Steps Toward COVID-19 Recovery

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating impact on poverty and inequality in Africa, there are glimmers of hope. Governments, international organizations and grassroots initiatives are working tirelessly to address immediate needs and foster long-term development. Efforts by the World Bank and the African Development Bank have provided critical financial support, strengthened health care systems and delivered assistance to vulnerable populations. Local organizations such as the Lagos Food Bank Initiative, the Solidarity Fund and SHOFCO are making a difference on the ground, providing essential resources and support to those most affected by the pandemic. Together, these collective efforts are driving Africa’s COVID-19 recovery, offering a path toward a more equitable and prosperous future.

– Eden Asipov
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Kuwait

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in KuwaitThe impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Kuwait can first be seen through the way in which Kuwait’s economy was substantially affected by the pandemic. Oil exports make up 90% of the country’s GDP, but COVID-19 had a huge impact on oil demand, leading to a large drop in revenue. During the pandemic, oil prices fell to a 17-year low and the oil export revenue fell by half in 2020 as compared to the previous year.

Further, lockdown measures impacted supply chains of goods and services and affected different industries and sectors including “restaurants, retail, tourism and transport.” Lockdowns also impacted businesses, with many SMEs experiencing a large decrease in revenues while suffering increased costs of doing business. Job losses affected employees and consumers experienced higher prices.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Bidoon

Levels of poverty among non-citizens in Kuwait are high, despite the poverty rate in Kuwait being close to zero. Citizens, who make up roughly 30% of the population, have access to “free health care, education and housing,” as well as government employment and extensive subsidies.

Non-citizens, by contrast, often work in the informal sector and do not have access to state services. A specific subset of non-citizens are “Bidoon” meaning “without nationality” in Arabic. Despite having resided in the country before or since its independence in 1961, the government regards them as illegal foreigners and has not granted them nationality, so they are stateless.

The poverty rate among the Bidoon is high. Without nationality, they cannot access the formal job market. In a study, 24% of Bidoon interviewed reported job loss due to COVID-19, with 26% suffering major economic hardship, such as inability to pay rent and medical fees, and limited funds for food. Further, 14% percent reported living in worse living conditions, with landlords evicting 8% from their homes. In terms of humanitarian relief during the pandemic, 61% reported that the government had not considered their needs.

This was due to a requirement to register with one’s civil ID, meaning that government aid was inaccessible to the Bidoon. The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Kuwait was therefore higher among this community.

Education and Health Care

The pandemic also greatly affected children. Stateless children must attend fee-paying schools, as opposed to state-funded schools and during the pandemic, students were not able to log into the online system to take exams, as they could not provide their identification document number, according to SALAM DHR and ISI report.

Further, according to the same report, stateless people were barred from accessing testing and treatment and hospital entry due to lack of legal status and were excluded from social services. Moreover, stateless people often, despite their conditions, did not seek hospital treatment as they believed that they would be refused treatment. Online registration for the COVID-19 vaccination also proved difficult, due to a lack of an identity number.

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Kuwait was therefore wide-ranging among the Bidoon community, affecting a wide range of rights and services.

COVID-19 Impact on Migrant Workers

In March 2020, the state asked all non-essential government workers to stay at home. This particularly affected non-Kuwaitis, the government only employs 4.7% of the expatriate, according to LSE.

Many migrant workers found themselves unemployed, without any means of income and surviving on little food. Further, many were not eligible for the government unemployment insurance scheme.  This also affected the families of these workers back home, many of whom depended on the remittances that they received, according to LSE.

Many domestic workers were unable to leave the country and were confined to their employer’s homes due to lockdown restrictions, as a result of the kafala system which ties migrant workers’ visas to their employers. Others lost their employment visas and were at risk of deportation, according to Middle East Institute (MEI).

Further, migrant workers were at increased risk of COVID-19 due to their living conditions. Many work in the construction sector, living in overcrowded, unsanitary camps or dormitories, with little opportunity for social distancing, UNDP reports. Migrant workers were also more vulnerable to COVID-19, with expatriates being twice as likely to need emergency COVID-19 care, according to MEI.

Positive Initiatives During the Pandemic

The en.v Initiative, an NGO “dedicated to building community resilience and civil society capacity” in Kuwait, organized a coordinated response, according to MEI. This has delivered community-level initiatives such as ASWATNA, which empowers youth to shape their education needs.

Its COVID-19 response involved local migrant community organizers, human rights activists, health care professionals, private sector executives and representatives from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), MEI reports. The goal was to implement a COVID-19 response, guided by the expertise and experience of local community leaders.

Further, volunteer groups delivered food aid door-to-door to those who had been unable to register. These food packages were tailored to the recipients’ cultural preferences. This initiative also reached non-Arabic and non-English speakers, through registration with community organizers.

According to MEI, other organizations such as Trashtag changed their mission from beach clean-ups, to food delivery. They developed a shared database of recipients, streamlining logistics and ensuring efficient use of funds. They were able to deliver food to around 500 households in three months and observed during the visits the lack of access to clean water. Trashtag then funded the installation of new water filters in houses, to avoid the distribution of environmentally unsustainable water bottles.

The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Kuwait, therefore, manifested in multiple different ways, having the greatest impact on non-citizens who are more marginalized during normal times, thus driving a disadvantaged proportion of the population into further poverty.

– Ottoline Spearman
Photo: Flickr

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COVID-19’s Impact on Fiji

COVID-19’s Impact on Fiji
Over the last three years, COVID-19’s impact on Fiji has been devastating. The pandemic’s effects hit Fiji’s thriving tourism industry particularly hard, which in 2020 accounted for 38% of Fiji’s gross domestic product (GDP). As a result, Fijian leaders acted quickly to implement recovery efforts, aimed at supporting sustainable economic growth and adapting to the “new normal” that the pandemic imposed. While the general public met some of these measures with opposition, these measures remained necessary in the face of new unprecedented challenges.

The 2020 Initial Response

The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through Fiji in 2020, with businesses closing and international travel restrictions put in place to keep the country safe from outbreaks. During this time, the focus was on adapting to the short-term new market realities brought by the pandemic, which resulted in these business closures. By July 2020, 50% of tourism-focused businesses had either temporarily or fully closed and 20% of non-tourism-focused businesses “indicated a need to defer loans,” according to an International Finance Corporation (IFC) report.

In 2019, 24% of the population lived below the national poverty line, a number that has slowly grown since 2013. Unemployment figures also rose from 4.3% in 2018 to 4.9% in 2021.

The IFC conducted a survey to better assess the situation. The survey received 3,596 responses from businesses, with 17% of those primarily servicing the tourism industry. This survey’s findings helped establish strategies for moving forward, with the long-term goal of reducing COVID-19’s impact on Fiji.

The 2021 Outbreak

After a year of minimal COVID-19 cases, an outbreak occurred in April 2021. By July 2021, COVID-19’s impact on Fiji worsened, with the nation averaging more than 900 new COVID-19 cases daily. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services led Fiji’s response effort to this outbreak and successfully implemented quarantine and lockdown measures, provided COVID-19 vaccinations and utilized contact tracing and cluster investigations to surveil infection trends. By that same month, more than 31% of the target population had received their first doses of the vaccine and Fiji had already fully vaccinated many frontline workers.

International partners also showed their support during this critical time. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom assisted by providing life-saving medical supplies and pledging donations. Multilateral organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the EU assisted by ensuring better accessibility to COVID-19 vaccines and equipment, including testing machines and miscellaneous medical supplies totaling more than $2.6 million in value.

Curbing Concerns in 2022

Despite controversies and civil unrest surrounding hard-line regulations, such as Fiji’s “no jab, no job” policy, the country achieved a significant milestone by the end of 2021. Approximately 90% of the target population had received second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Although the country’s health care efforts saw success in curbing the spread of the virus, the pandemic’s impact on Fiji’s economy continued, with significant public debt-to-GDP ratios resulting from the persisting 2020 deficits. In addition, the global economy witnessed some of the highest surges of inflation in the past 20 years. These inflated prices include shipping, import, energy and food costs.

To revive its tourism industry, Fiji re-opened its borders to travel with modified guidelines. However, despite these efforts, economic growth did not rebound as expected due to the lingering civil unrest from the previous year and the emergence of an Omicron variant outbreak.

Current Concerns and Trends

As of March 2023, Fiji has made significant progress in its vaccination campaign, with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services reporting a 95% full vaccination rate for the target population. Infection trends are continually decreasing as well, and over the past month, Fiji reported only one new case. One can attribute this positive development to the general public adhering to effective health measures.

The tourism industry is also gradually recovering, with international travel to Fiji fully resuming after a long hiatus. As of February 2023, travelers to Fiji no longer need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or travel insurance. Initial figures from 2022 show that tourist arrivals sat at around 45% of pre-pandemic figures.

However, even with progress in the medical and tourism industries, economic figures are still hurting. David Gould, the World Bank’s lead economist for the Pacific, estimated that while economic output is growing, levels may not exceed pre-pandemic levels until 2024. One contributing factor may be the record-breaking 30% unemployment rate in 2022, according to the Fiji Times.

The World Bank’s Pacific Economic Update advises Fijian leaders to be cautious when accepting fiscal support. Concerns include global economic uncertainty, debt servicing and rising inflation rates. To address these concerns, re-budgeting and public spending cuts can help to maximize the efficiency of taxpayer dollars and to prevent future public debt. Once Fiji’s economic output recovers to pre-pandemic levels, policymakers can invest in fiscal buffers to allow for economic leeway during future economic disasters.

Solutions

In 2021, the World Bank swiftly approved a $50 million credit for Fiji as vigorous support for unemployment assistance, strengthening the Fijian social protection system and ensuring equitable access to social protection services. While this relief is not a permanent solution to Fiji’s rising poverty levels, it did push GDP growth from -15.2% in 2020 to -4.1% in 2021 and then from 6.3% in 2022 to 7.7% in 2023.

To this day, the World Bank continues its support to lessen COVID-19’s impact on Fiji. After discussions held with the Fijian government and other civil and private organizations, the World Bank Group developed a Country Partnership Framework for Fiji with the primary goal of reducing poverty emphasized by the pandemic and increasing sustainable wealth from 2020 to 2024. To do this, officials prioritize fostering inclusive and private sector-led economic growth, building fiscal and climate-based resilience and increasing gender equality.

The framework paints a picture of a bright future for Fiji. However, humanitarian efforts from the broader international community must continue in order for Fiji to return to its once-booming economic self.

– Anthony Lee
Photo: Flickr

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Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Bahrain

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Bahrain
Just like many other countries in the world, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Bahrain was considerable. The nation’s GDP shrank 6.9% due to the pandemic during the third quarter of 2020 when compared with 2019. In comparison to other Gulf states, Bahrain performed slightly worse as Qatar had an economic output of -3.7% and the UAE’s economy shrank by 6.1% in 2020. Though there are no definitive poverty estimations, other indicators point toward an overall increase in poverty in Bahrain during the pandemic.

Reaction to COVID-19

During its worst period, daily new COVID-19 cases in Bahrain rose to 8,000 at the start of February 2022. Bahrain had more than 60,000 active cases by February 7, 2022. As of February 12, 2023, Bahrain has suffered a total of 700,835 COVID-19 cases and 1,544 COVID-19 deaths.

Just like many other governments around the world, Bahrain implemented lockdowns as a countermeasure to the rising COVID-19 infections. By choosing this method to curb the COVID-19 cases in the country, the government of Bahrain effectively brought the country to a standstill. The government halted/restricted the activity of shopping malls, restaurants and cafes, gyms, cinemas, sports events and more.

As a result, both consumption and production in Bahrain dropped. Bahrain’s trade during COVID-19 declined considerably. In fact, “trade with the largest economy in the region,” Saudi Arabia, decreased by 2.1% within the “first nine months of 2020.” Furthermore, trade with Kuwait and the UAE dropped by 15.4% and 21% respectively.

With Bahrain’s unemployment rising to 9.4% in 2020, the government announced an economic stimulus package in March 2020 worth 4.3 billion Bahraini dinars to support the country’s citizens due to the effects of the lockdowns.

The government aimed to keep the private sector afloat and ensure employees continued to receive their salaries for three months. The stimulus package also covered the cost of electricity and water bills for three months and absolved all tourism-related businesses from tourism levies, among other measures. Overall, the stimulus package aimed to reduce the potential increase in poverty in Bahrain due to COVID-19. However, financial worries for Bahrain due to the economic impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Bahrain led to more financial aid from fellow Gulf Arab states Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.

Oil Dependency

As a Gulf State, it comes as no surprise that Bahrain has significant oil reserves. However, unlike other nations in the Middle East, Bahrain has not diversified its economy. While significant effort went into reducing Bahrain’s dependence on oil prices, oil and gas revenue still accounted for about 75% of government funds in 2016.

Oil prices fluctuate regularly, and as a result, the Bahraini economy has struggled when oil prices drop. The result has been an irregular growth in Bahrain’s budget deficit. The impact of COVID-19 exacerbated Bahrain’s circumstances and the World Bank stated, “lower oil prices since 2014 had widened fiscal and external imbalances and intensified macroeconomic vulnerabilities.”

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent financial impact, Bahrain announced drastic spending cuts in April 2020. According to Al Jazeera, the Gulf Island cut expenditure by up to 30% across ministries and government agencies. Cuts across the board at the government level can affect those on lower incomes more than any other section of the population as many rely on government-run social safety nets to stay financially afloat.

Poverty in Bahrain

Though no official poverty estimates exist that would indicate an increase in impoverishment in Bahrain amid the pandemic, a UNDP “Assessment of the Socio-economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Bahrain” shows a decline in living standards, indicative of poverty. A survey shows that Bahrainis and Bangladeshis living in Bahrain “suffered considerable amounts of self-reported economic distress, in the form of job losses and decreased income.”

However, positively, Bahrain’s unemployment rate reduced from 7.7% in 2021 to 5.4% in 2022. In comparison to other Arab nations, Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate rose to 9.9% in 2022 and the UAE’s unemployment rate rose to 3.4% in 2021.

Bahrain’s ongoing oil dependence and the effects of government-imposed restrictions during COVID-19 have led to economic instability in the nation. The Bahraini government’s decision to add roughly $470 million to its budget in 2020 to cover potential emergency pandemic spending likely limited the impact of the pandemic on the Bahraini economy.

The stimulus package propelled economic activity and put Bahrain on track to recover from the pandemic. By 2021, Bahrain’s GDP had seen an increase of 2.2%. Diversification of the economy will improve economic stability in Bahrain, especially amid recovery from the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Bahrain.

– Josef Whitehead
Photo: Flickr

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The Effect of COVID-19 on Poverty in Seychelles

Effect of COVID-19 on Poverty in Seychelles
The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous effect on all of the world’s countries. However, the impact has not been the same on any two countries, especially when considering the state of poverty in some of the world’s more impoverished nations. Seychelles, an archipelago country located off of East Africa, has been through many ups and downs since the touchdown of the pandemic. In order to plan anti-poverty measures going forward, it is helpful to analyze the effect of COVID-19 on poverty in Seychelles.

Pre-Pandemic Progress

Seychelles has made much progress in reducing its poverty rates over the past few decades. It has the highest GDP per capita of any African country, even exceeding averages from other more prosperous countries on the continent such as Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. This is due to its robust tourism economy, which has been steadily reducing many of the Seychellois’ reliance on subsistence farming.

Though still having a sizable impoverished population, as many countries in Africa do, Seychelles has for the most part seen strong gains in the fight against poverty. For example, the total population of impoverished Seychellois shrunk by 13.5% between 2017 and 2018.

The Effects of COVID-19

The effects of COVID-19 have been widespread in Seychelles, both on the citizen’s health and on their economy. Though different numbers are out there, in 2018, the government of Seychelles itself reported a 25% poverty rate in the country. Due to COVID-19’s crippling effect on the tourism industry, the country’s economy changed during the first couple of years of the pandemic, which in turn has stymied opportunities for the country’s most impoverished residents to climb out of poverty. Thankfully, Seychelles’ economy has seen a strong rebound, thanks in large part due to the country’s tourism sector flourishing once again as the world has opened back up.

Progress Moving Forward

Though much remains in the effort to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on poverty in Seychelles, the outlook is currently hopeful. In addition to Seychelles’ strong economic rebound, as the pandemic wanes, outside aid continues to play a vital role in offsetting COVID-19’s deleterious effects on the country. For example, in 2020 the World Bank pledged $15 million in aid to Seychelles to help mitigate COVID-19’s effects, with the loan intended to specifically help “protect the most vulnerable” citizens of Seychelles. Other nonprofits, such as Global Vision International and Nature Seychelles, work to help the people of Seychelles, especially those in poverty.

Today, while poverty is still a strong issue in Seychelles, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress seen in reducing the impoverished population and providing economic opportunities has been heartening. Though the effect of COVID-19 on poverty in Seychelles has been strong, there have been many victories in the fight to reduce this effect.

– Elijah Beglyakov
Photo: Flickr

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Ways To Address World Hunger in 2023

Ways To Address World Hunger
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to profoundly impact economies worldwide, with rising food prices and high supply chain shortages exacerbating global hunger. Africa is feeling the heaviest effects. Ukraine is one of the largest producers of wheat. Russia’s introduction of a naval blockade and attacks on the country’s energy grid resulted in a reduction in wheat exports from 5 to 7 million tons per month before the war to 3.5 million tons per month between March and November 2022. More than 345 million people are feeling the impact of the global food crisis, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) highlights that more than 48 countries that the global food crisis affected will require more than $4.1 billion in aid in 2023. However, there are initiatives and methods to help alleviate and provide solutions to address world hunger.

United Nations Year of Millets

The initiative began in 2021, a year before Russia invaded Ukraine, which caused an unprecedented global food crisis. Before expanding on the goals and outcomes the initiative hopes to achieve, it is essential to discuss what millets are and what are the ways to address world hunger in 2023. Millets are grains that come from small seed grasses and many around the world grow them in abundance. People have been consuming millet for more than 7,000 years and they are important in terms of contributing to multi-crop agriculture and establishing farming societies.

Developing countries like India, Niger and Nigeria (more than 97%) heavily produce millet and they continue to be a stable form of the crop in these regions today, Impakter reports. This is because millet can survive droughts and other environmental challenges, making it a sustainable form of nutrition. Furthermore, the efforts required to grow the crops are minimal as they are highly adaptable in the soils they grow in, be they poor or fertile. As a source of nutrition, millets have high protein, minerals, fiber and iron and are gluten-free. Therefore, these grains are an excellent source to help countries “increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported cereal grains,” according to Impakter.

Karnataka, India officially adopted the United Nations Year of Millets. Millet grows in abundance there and India spearheads the initiative. The primary objective of Year of Millets consists of generating international awareness of millets which will ultimately result in a solution to the global food crisis because millets not only have the ability to grow in adverse environments and are sources of high nutrition but they also are sources of new sustainable market opportunities. The greater generation of international awareness of millet could solve world hunger in 2023 or be a step towards solving world hunger.

Immediate International Action

Another one of the ways to address world hunger is through more significant international involvement and efforts to help generate a financial cushion to support initiatives that tackle the food crisis and ensure that there are alternatives in place to ensure food security. Organizations like WFP and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) also require adequate global funding to operate efficiently to help address world hunger and generate awareness regarding the consequences of food insecurity. Furthermore, organizations that conduct their programs in countries experiencing extreme food insecurity require a stable source of funding from donors and international organizations through grants and concessional financing to operate programs such as cash assistance programs for people that the global food crisis affected.

A way to address world hunger in 2023 is through a calculated and organized approach which people can achieve through international awareness and engagement to ensure maximized efficiency of the efforts and effective use of the resources to help address the global food crisis.

In addition, the IMF mentions that even with international support, more significant efforts are necessary to help address the global food crisis and hopefully address world hunger. This means aiming financing at the most vulnerable sections of populations suffering from the food crisis. The funding should come through humanitarian aid, grants and long-term concessional financing, according to IMF Notes. Furthermore, the IMF views debt financing as an exemplary method for addressing the food crisis. It will ensure that people can use the funds to spend on food and other necessities.

Nutrition the Way to Save Lives

According to the WFP’s Global Operational Response Plan, “prioritizing the nutrition of pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 5 is key to saving lives and building resilient communities and economies.” This is because, statistically, the global food crisis is one of the most significant threats to children under 5, constituting one-fifth of children out of 60 million. In addition, children under 5 who suffer from acute and chronic malnutrition are at greater risk of death.

The WFP’s approach to addressing global food takes a targeted approach that can provide fruitful results in addressing world hunger in 2023. Therefore, the World Food Programme highlights that one of the ways to address world hunger in 2023 is the prioritization of nutrition for women and children under the age of 5 suffering from global food insecurity because access to nutritious diets is scarce.

To achieve this, Specialized Nutritious Foods (SNFs) are necessary in ensuring the proper nourishment of women and children. SNFs “help prevent and treat malnutrition and reduce mortality among children and pregnant and breastfeeding women by improving nutrient adequacy, strengthening immune systems and enabling proper weight gain.” Despite the high demand and prices for SNFs because of the war in Ukraine, the World Food Programme continues to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition at its core.

Addressing world hunger in 2023 along with rising inflation and greater demand for food appears complicated due to the disruption of global supply chains due to the war in Ukraine, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental challenges. However, greater international cooperation between nonprofit organizations like the WFP, the IMF and the United Nations, alongside their partners and the international community, will make it possible to address world hunger in 2023.

– Arijit Joshi
Photo: Flickr

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GPI and International Cooperation

International Cooperation
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for a different approach to reorganizing global governance in innovative and unexpected ways. The Global Public Investment (GPI) system is one of them. GPI is a fixed and multidirectional way to address the administration of international fiscal resources. The initiative follows three rules: “All contribute,” “All decide” and “All benefit.” The way GPI might revolutionize international cooperation is through the funding of global public goods and services such as vaccines and social security.

The Background

The proposal started to gain significant recognition as a consequence and response to the devastation that the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic brought upon the world in early 2020. The outbreak has reminded the world’s nations how susceptible they all are on an economic, social and biological level, emphasizing the need for global cooperation. Furthermore, as a reliable example, Europe demonstrated the potential for collaboration over common funds in the future, “through its regional development fund.”

In the lead-up to this moment, GPI’s most significant political push came from leaders in the Global South, outraged by the economic and social inequalities that the pandemic further emphasized.

Latin American countries were among the first to officially consider the implementation of GPI. Then, Africa followed and invited powers in the Western and Eastern world to work together more efficiently to solve challenges impacting the globe.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that COVID-19 led to the loss of $28 trillion in output and $17 trillion in response to the pandemic. Additionally, COVID-19 highlighted global disparities such as the underfunding of some health systems around the world.

An early 2022 press release from the U.N. Secretary-General said: “As we enter a new decade, we are finally bringing international public finance into the 21st century. No more “us and them”. Now it’s just “us.””

How GPI Works

The way GPI might revolutionize international cooperation has roots in its inner mechanism. The new system includes three pillars:

1. Universal Contributions: Instead of how donor countries give money to recipient ones, GPI is an “all-contributor approach to international public finance.”

2. Ongoing Commitments: GPI defies the assumption that countries are expected to “graduate after achieving a relatively low level of per capita income,” favoring a longer-term approach.

3. Representative Control: GPI asks for a more “democratic and accountable approach” to governing international public finance. All participating governments would determine the priorities of GPI.

The Global Public Investment would include percentages of participants’ gross national income by their capability. The same countries would consequently receive funds according to their need, including wealthier countries. As a result of the GPI, all countries would have equal shares in a common fund, promoting the development of a fiscal-cooperation among them.

Looking Ahead

The way GPI might revolutionize international cooperation depends on many factors, and one of them is the efficient and thorough application of this innovative system as well as the support of all nations.

International aid is still valid for solving many of the world’s economic inequalities. Combined with GPI, the new system would allow the world to go a step further in its fight against global poverty.

– Caterina Rossi
Photo: Flickr
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COVID-19’s Impact on Spain

COVID-19’s Impact on Spain
With the emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have faced significant economic challenges. One such country is Spain, which experienced its first recorded COVID-19 case in January 2020, and since then has recorded more than 13 million cases.

Large numbers of COVID-19 cases within Spain have caused strict lockdown protocols within the country, in turn slowing Spain’s booming tourism industry and economic development. Spain lost its large influx of tourists due to COVID-19, and it experienced a surge in unemployment levels and a significant decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Here is some information about COVID-19’s impact on Spain.

COVID-19’s Impact on Spain

In March 2020, all 50 provinces of Spain confirmed COVID-19 cases. Accordingly, the Spanish government responded to the spread of the virus by placing the country into lockdown and declaring a state of emergency.

In response to the second wave of infections, Spain subsequently imposed further COVID-19 restrictions. This meant that schools, restaurants and all services that the government deemed non-essential had to close down in an effort to mitigate and control the spread of the virus.

Despite efforts to reduce transmission of the virus, the mortality rate in Spain kept increasing. Since the detection of the first case in Spain, the country has reported around 107,799 deaths from a sum of 12,681,820 cases.

Employment and Standards of Living

Spain’s unemployment rate prior to the pandemic stood at around 14%, whereas by late 2020, it was an estimated 16.2%. COVID-19’s impact on Spain was significant for those already living in poverty. The rise of the global pandemic exposed such individuals to further exacerbated food insecurity and a significant loss of income. As a result, thousands of people in Spain ended up facing economic hardship and an inability to afford adequate amounts of food. According to European Anti Poverty Network, around 380,000 people fell into poverty in 2021. This trend also impacted the educated class of society, significantly affecting economic security among the general Spanish population.

Another report by Human Rights Watch indicated that COVID-19 impacted food security in Spain. Families have been unable to satisfy nutritional support for their kids. According to the report, despite government efforts to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, the economic decline continued to worsen and has meant that families had to skip meals.

Lingering Impact and Recovery

COVID-19’s impact on Spain has undoubtedly exacerbated economic hardship for Spain’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. Spain’s severe material deprivation rate, which measures the degree of poverty reflected in an inability to satisfy basic necessities, climbed to 7% in 2020.

COVID-19’s impact on Spain placed a strain on Spain’s social assistance programs and social security networks, highlighting the complexities and shortcomings of these systems. As Spain’s tourism sector and its overall economy continue to recover from its losses, the war between Russia and Ukraine poses a new threat to Spain’s economy and is likely to further financially challenge Spain’s vulnerable and poor populations.

Despite Spain’s challenges, its government is in the process of implementing an economic recovery plan. The intention of Spain’s recovery plan is to return to the robust economy and unemployment level that Spain had prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spain’s governmental plan encompasses 112 investments and 102 reforms. The plan’s reforms aim to promote sustainable economic growth across the country, and a central focus of the plan is building a resilient economy.

– Dylan Priday
Photo: Unsplash

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UNICEF’S Life-Saving Delivery of Cold Chain Equipment in Peru

Cold Chain Equipment in PeruPossessing the “highest COVID-19 mortality rate in the world” in mid-2021, Peru was among the hardest-hit nations in Latin America during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF says. In light of the pandemic’s devastating social and economic ramifications, UNICEF facilitated vaccination rollout efforts by supplying cold chain equipment in Peru. UNICEF’s acquisition of 1,100 solar-powered freezers not only helped transport COVID-19 vaccines across Peru but also helped alleviate the pandemic’s health implications across Latin America.

The Pandemic’s Impact on Peru

According to UNICEF, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated poverty levels and exposed the gravity of inequality in Peru. In 2020, Peru faced a -11.1% decrease in GDP and a “10.5% reduction in household income,” resulting in many Peruvian households, primarily those residing in rural regions, suffering economically, UNICEF reports. Furthermore, according to statistics, Peru experienced 1.5 million job losses while “1.2 million children fell into poverty” and close to 90 million Peruvian children missed out on a formal education during the height of the pandemic.

The informal economy and overcrowded housing in Peru are two factors that exacerbate the COVID-19 pandemic’s ramifications in the nation. According to the BBC, 70% of Peru’s working people are employed in the informal sector, which means that many Peruvians faced unemployment, could not earn an income or faced wage cuts due to a lack of job security. Furthermore, Peru’s overcrowded housing allows the COVID-19 virus to spread rapidly due to a lack of social distancing. In addition, Peru’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has moved slowly.

The Importance of Cold Chain Equipment

In order to help accelerate the vaccine rollout in Peru, proper refrigeration is crucial to “protect the potency” of the COVID-19 vaccine. Thus, vaccination programs use cold chain equipment to store and transport doses across Peru, particularly in rural areas where vaccination distribution is difficult. Electric and solar-powered refrigerators store vaccines in a “2°C to 8°C temperature range,” allowing vaccines to be housed in optimal conditions when traveling through regions that lack access to electricity.

UNICEF’s Vaccination Rollout Strategies in Peru

In light of the adversities impacting Peru, in November 2021, UNICEF’s Supply Division procured 1,100 solar-powered freezers for Peru. UNICEF distributed 57 of these freezers to “Huancavelica, in the Andean region, and Loreto and Ucayali in the Amazon regions,” which are isolated, rural areas with Indigenous people, the UNICEF website says.

Shipping these units from Luxembourg, UNICEF worked with Peru’s Ministry of Health to inspect the freezers and help distribute vaccines across remote communities that have limited electricity.

Furthermore, in early 2021, UNICEF helped Peru’s Ministry of Health procure an additional 10,339 pieces of refrigeration equipment through “an international procurement process.” UNICEF oversaw delivery times, the quality of equipment and the negotiation of prices to ensure transparency in the competitive procurement process. UNICEF’s delivery of cold chain equipment in Peru, through both direct and intermediary means, ultimately ensured that the ministry could efficiently distribute COVID-19 vaccines across the nation.

Peru’s Rising Vaccination Rates

UNICEF’s delivery of cold chain equipment in Peru helped to significantly increase Peru’s vaccination rates. By October 2022, Peru had administered more than 84 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Although Peru is still grappling with the pandemic’s implications, the nation’s steady increase in vaccination rates is indicative of Peru’s bright and promising future.

– Emma He
Photo: Flickr

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Providing COVID-19 Vaccines to Madagascar

COVID-19 Vaccines to Madagascar
Madagascar, like much of the world, has dealt with disinformation, confusion, disrupted supply chains and health crises from the pandemic. Additionally, like much of the developing world, Madagascar remains largely unvaccinated. In fact, the country has administered only enough doses to vaccinate between 4-5% of the population. However, international organizations are working to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Madagascar.

An Inside Voice

In an interview with The Borgen Project, Pierre Ranjakamanana, a 21-year-old student from Antananarivo, stated that the pandemic “badly affected the country in many ways, especially people from poor backgrounds.” The government-imposed lockdowns and curfew impacted Antananarivo’s many independent vendors, who often rely on daily income to make ends meet. Ranjakamanana recalled that “people were desperate due to the fact that they had to stay at home for two weeks.”

“All of us were panicking because we heard on the news that COVID-19 had killed many people in China. Then, we started thinking of ways not to get the virus, so we drank hot water tea with ginger and lemon in it, washed our hands every single time, and decided not to go outside.” He also remembered that while some took the virus very seriously, others “did not really believe in the virus because they believed that COVID-19 is like a normal disease like headache, fever and all that, so there is no point in panicking.”

Debunking the “Tea”

One of the biggest challenges during the pandemic was overcoming misinformation and acquiring COVID-19 vaccines for Madagascar. Madagascar’s President Rajoelina has promoted an herbal tea that the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research developed as a COVID-19 cure. Called “Covid-Organics,” it is based on the artemisia plant, an important source of anti-malarial drugs. However, there is no evidence that tea has any effect on COVID-19. Still, the country has shipped thousands of doses to different countries, tried to develop an injectable version, and distributed the tea to schools, threatening students with expulsion if they did not drink it.

Efforts to Vaccinate Madagascar

Thankfully, international organizations are distributing vaccines and medical equipment to Madagascar. COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) are organizations that acquire, organize and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to the developing world and Africa, respectively. The U.S. State Department has given 1.7 million doses to these organizations, 74% of Madagascar’s total so far.

In 2021, the World Bank gave $100 million to Madagascar to help the country acquire and distribute more vaccines. If implemented smoothly, the initiative should vaccinate about 5.6 million people, as well as support the infrastructure that will continue to vaccinate the population. Some COVID-19 vaccines must be kept on ice, which vastly increases the logistics of distribution.

UNICEF is also working to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Madagascar, supporting the government’s goal of vaccinating 9 million people before the end of 2022. UNICEF’s main work is buying vaccines and supporting and setting up clinics and distribution centers.

Though very little of the Malagasy population has received vaccines, it is encouraging to see the country overcoming previous hurdles in fighting the disease and finally gaining access to precious vaccines. 

– Shiloh Harrill
Photo: Flickr