Millions face hunger as African cities impose COVID-19 lockdowns

  • 📰 ChannelNewsAsia
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 51 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 24%
  • Publisher: 66%

Singapore Headlines News

Singapore Latest News,Singapore Headlines

Millions face hunger as African cities impose COVID19 lockdowns

The 53-year-old paraplegic man usually sells phone cards. But an extended lockdown to fight the new coronavirus in Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, has left him stranded.The Lagos state government sent him a text after the lockdown began on Mar 30 saying he would receive a food parcel. But no food came, and with government offices closed, he had no idea when or how he would get any.

The combination of widespread poverty, reliance on imported food and price spikes due to the epidemic could prove deadly if African governments don't act quickly, it says. Food prices spiked as residents raced to stock up. Imported rice rose 11 per cent and the price of garri, a staple made from cassava, nearly doubled, said Lagos-based risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.

Lawal said those people did not understand that the aid was meant only for the most vulnerable. But officials acknowledge they are barely scratching the surface of the problem. "It is a war zone," he said, and the group can no longer distribute food in some neighbourhoods without police escorts.Kenya has imposed a night curfew and forbidden most movement - apart from food - in and out of the capital, Nairobi, the country's coronavirus epicentre.

"Food is more important than corona," he said."The government must see how people are desperate - they will risk their life for food."

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

Fake news

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 6. in SG

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Ricky Gervais Tells Celebrities To Stop Moaning Amid COVID-19 Lockdown
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

'Starve or get sick': Africa's COVID-19 lockdown dilemmaNAIROBI: Women and children fell to the ground, bloodied and trampled in a desperate surge for food being handed out in a Nairobi slum, as police ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

COVID-19: How some countries are preparing to ease their lockdownsPARIS: Slowly but surely, several countries are starting to plan for a gradual end to the lockdowns imposed to try and stop the spread of the ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

On-off social distancing may be needed until 2022: Harvard studyWASHINGTON: A one-time lockdown won't halt COVID-19 and repeated periods of social distancing may be required into 2022 to prevent hospitals from ... Assumptions can never be accurate. Too much social distancing will affect work productivity and people’s relationships. Businesses will be the ones to suffer the monetary losses. Not a good idea to implement it for long time🦅 With common sense and manners we wont need it. All this antibacterial will also makte the bacteria reroute. We just have to relearn from our ancestors. Use out bodies and nature the way we are created for, in a modern way. This is the natures way to stop us ruin the earth.
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Covid-19: Animal shelters see surge in adoption and fostering interest, but face logistical constraintsYet be prepared when the poor animals are dumped when things get back to as normal as can be. Just saying.
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

Europe Covid-19 cases almost at 1 million, coming weeks 'critical': WHOLONDON (REUTERS) - Europe is currently in eye of the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of cases nearing a million, the World Health Organisation's (WHO) European regional director said on Thursday (April 16).. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »