Africa’s digital solutions to tackle COVID-19

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African countries are using technology in many new ways to fight the coronavirus pandemic. This report highlights some of the best digital solutions and estimates the investments required to implement the technology on a wider scale. The European Investment Bank prepared this report with the support of the United Nations Development Programme and the consulting firm BearingPoint.   Download

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Recovering better: economic and social challenges and opportunities

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The United Nations High-level Advisory Board (HLAB) on Economic and Social Affairs was established in June 2018 to help strengthen United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in the context of the United Nations development system reform and as a key part of efforts to enhance the United Nations’s support to Member States in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Board also, through its twice annual meetings, provided advice to…

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The Emerging Lessons on Urban Vulnerability and Safety from Covid-19 in Low-and Middle-Income Countries

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This discussion paper sets forth the lessons on urban vulnerability and safety, relevant to the security sector, emerging from coronavirus (Covid-19) and its related socioeconomic impacts on urban societies in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). The paper is structured as four sections: section one describes in brief the direct and indirect impacts of Covid-19. Section two describes the impacts of Covid-19on the incidence of crime, violence,and insecurity. Section three summarises the emerging lessons for the security…

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Disasters meet political unrest, displacing millions in East Africa

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An unprecedented overlap of natural and man-made disasters are plaguing the Greater Horn of Africa region. We have seen one million displacements in two months, communal tensions reignited, and pre-existing vulnerabilities exacerbated. In recent weeks, our news channels have been flooded with stories about the Covid-19 pandemic, political and social unrest around the world, natural hazards upending people’s lives, and even a locust infestation, which surfaced in Sub-Saharan Africa then migrated towards Asia, destroying crops…

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Continuing Care During COVID-19: Adopting Life-Saving Approaches to Treat Acute Malnutrition

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Key findings and recommendations: Increased rates of acute malnutrition are an inevitable consequence of COVID-19 and the measures taken to slow its spread – especially in fragile and conflict affected settings where rates of acute malnutrition are already substantially higher than in stable settings. In the face of government-mandated shutdowns, millions of people have lost their income, agriculture harvests and sales have been disrupted, food prices have increased, and aid programs focused on nutrition have…

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COVID-19 and resilience innovations in food supply chains

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Food supply disruptions in developing countries during the COVID-19 pandemic have been varied and often severe, especially in labor-intensive segments of supply chains. Tom Reardon of Michigan State University and IFPRI’s Jo Swinnen summarize early experiences in both international and domestic supply chains across various types of firms and commodities. They review a range of innovations developed to keep supply chains running, many implemented at a surprisingly rapid pace—and make recommendations on to facilitate continued…

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How Africa can take this moment to end a 500-years-old economic model

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African economies are facing a COVID-19 induced crisis. Global demand for raw materials has collapsed. International tourism has virtually halted. And even wealthier governments on the continent have been unable to provide the financial support necessary to prop up their struggling sectors. In response, African finance ministers in April asked creditors to reduce their debt repayments. Several economic leaders on the continent have similarly called for a two-year debt freeze and urged the IMF and…

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Exploring the impact of COVID-19 in Africa: a scenario analysis to 2030

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This report presents three scenarios on the potential impact of COVID-19 in Africa and compares that to a pre-COVID-19 baseline, using the International Futures forecasting platform, IFs. The likely impacts are then examined on economic growth, per capita income, poverty and the attainment of selected SDG targets with a forecast horizon to 2030. The report concludes with four main policy recommendations aimed at reducing vulnerability and strengthening Africa’s resilience. These recommendations aim to make a…

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Economic impact of COVID-19: Protecting Africa’s food systems from farm to fork

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The global spread of COVID-19 and the rising number of confirmed cases in Africa have raised concerns about the weak health care systems in the region, while the lockdowns have caused economies to contract substantially. Receiving less public attention, and yet also putting at risk lives and livelihoods, is the likelihood that COVID-19 and the associated economic challenges will spill into an African food crisis if the food system cannot cope. Half of Africans already…

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COVID-19 and the promise of food system innovation

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The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that followed have disrupted private food supply chains and the public support systems the poor rely on for food and good nutrition. But these problems have also triggered many creative and entrepreneurial responses. Corinna Hawkes of the Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London, reviews a variety of the proliferating innovations by governments, businesses, and communities to get food to the people who need it. She also…

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