UNDP projects that nearly half of all jobs in Africa could be lost. PHOTO | FILE | FOTOSEARCH
Developing countries will lose income of more than Sh22
trillion ($220 billion) from the coronavirus (Covid 19) pandemic, the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said.
UNDP
projects that nearly half of all jobs in Africa could be lost and that
the growing Covid-19 crisis will disproportionately hit developing
countries not just in the health sector, but will also lead to a
devastating social and economic crisis over months and years to come.
"With
an estimated 55 per cent of the global population having no access to
social protection, these losses will reverberate across societies,
impacting education, human rights and, in the most severe cases, basic
food security and nutrition," UNDP said in statement on Monday.
The United Nations agency said under-resourced hospitals and fragile health systems are likely to be overwhelmed.
"This
may be further exacerbated by a spike in cases, as up to 75 per cent of
people in least developed countries lack access to soap and water," the
statement adds.
Additional social conditions such as
poor urban planning and overpopulation in some cities, weak waste
disposal services, and even traffic congestion impeding access to
healthcare facilities, may all add to the case load.
"This pandemic is a health crisis. But not just a health crisis.
For vast swathes of the globe, the pandemic will leave deep, deep
scars," noted Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator
"Without
support from the international community, we risk a massive reversal of
gains made over the last two decades, and an entire generation lost, if
not in lives then in rights, opportunities, and dignity."
Working
in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNDP is
helping countries to prepare for, respond to and recover from the
Covid-19 pandemic, focusing particularly on the most vulnerable.
UNDP
is already working to support health systems in countries including
Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Djibouti, El Salvador, Eritrea, Iran,
Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Nigeria, Paraguay, Panama, Serbia, Ukraine, and
Vietnam.
A UNDP-led COVID-19 Rapid Response Facility
has already been launched, funded by existing resources and capitalised
with an initial Sh2billion ($20 million).
This
facility is disbursing through a fast-track mechanism enabling UNDP
teams to offer immediate assistance to countries for their national
response.
UNDP anticipates a minimum of Sh50 billion ($500 million) is needed to support 100 countries.
The agency has made a call to action to the international community to think beyond the immediate impact of Covid-19.
The
organisation has emphasised the need for three priority actions:
resources to help stop the spread of the virus, support to respond
during the outbreak itself, and resources to prevent the economic
collapse of developing countries.
As an immediate
response, UNDP is building on the support it has been providing to China
and other Asian countries to help strengthen their health systems.
"This
includes helping them procure much-needed medical supplies, leverage
digital technologies and ensuring health workers are paid."
At
the same time, UNDP will support countries to slow the spread of the
virus and to provide social protection for vulnerable populations,
promoting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response to
complement efforts in the health sector.
In the longer
term, UNDP will work with countries to assess the social and economic
impacts of Covid-19 and take urgent recovery measures to minimise
long-term impact, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised groups,
and to help societies to recover better.
UNDP is fully
operational in 170 countries and territories and focused on its Covid-19
response, mobilising all its assets to respond to this unprecedented
challenge.
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