Africa

African Union Covid-19 updates

The African Union provides a Covid-19 Surveillance Dashboard, with updates from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the latest Covid-19 Outbreak Brief.

Situation Update webinars

International SOS provides regular Situation Updates from Africa webinars. As we enter the last quarter of 2020, a number of African countries have reopened their international borders or are planning to do so.

Côte d’Ivoire: €51 million for sectors impacted by Covid-19

In Côte d’Ivoire, as of 31 August, the resources released for the Emergency Support Programme for Agricultural Commodity Chains impacted by Covid-19 (PURGA) mobilised FCFA 33.86 billion (€51.6 million), comprising 74% from the State and 26% from the World Bank (Commodafrica, 13 October). PURGA provides support to the main sectors of the national economy (including, among others, cashew nuts, dessert bananas, pineapples and mangoes), and for food production (including cassava, plantains and vegetables, etc.).

Lockdown in France impacts Kenya’s flower sub-sector

The Kenya Flower Council reports that thousands of farm workers are on the verge of losing their jobs due to restrictions on sales of “non-essential” items by supermarkets and florists during the lockdown in France (Floral Daily, 5 October). France’s second lockdown in 7 months is expected to last until at least 1 December. The flower industry urges the Kenyan government to urgently engage the French government to lift these restrictions to safeguard jobs.

Impact of Covid-19 on food security in Kenya and Uganda

According to CABI research in Kenya and Uganda (AgriDigitale, 7 October), more than two-thirds of survey respondents experienced economic hardship due to the pandemic. Regular fruit consumption decreased by about 30% during the pandemic compared to the pre-crisis period. Farmers were impacted by difficulties in accessing farms, inputs or transporting their produce to markets, among other things. Households surveyed consumed less variety of products, skipped meals and reduced the portions of food they consumed.

Nigerian farmers to benefit from $20 million against coronavirus

A $20.4 million grant from the MasterCard Foundation will benefit farmers heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic (Commodafrica, 22 October). 65,000 farmers will receive seeds, inputs, tractors, finance and advice, including climate advice. To implement the programme Mastercard has entered into a partnership with Nigerian company Alluvial, which works with small farmers to improve yields and production. Farmers will be grouped into collectives of 500 ha.

Nigeria: Fears of Covid-19 second wave

The authorities are keeping a close watch on the worrying increase in Covid-19 cases (RFI, 10 November). The city of Lagos, with a population of 22 million, is still the epicentre of the epidemic in the country. The authorities do not rule out the possibility of a second wave. Nigeria’s airspace has been reopened for the past two months, civil servants resumed work at the end of October and most schools have reopened their doors.

CARIBBEAN

CARICOM situation updates

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) provides up-to-date data from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and information on curfews and other measures in each of the Member States.

PACIFIC

Current Status in the Pacific

The Pacific Community publishes regular Pacific Community Updates on the state of the pandemic and its impacts on the individual Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).