YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – COVID-19 poses more than a health risk for Africa: The disease risks shrinking civil society and putting limits on people’s political freedom.

“there are significant risks emerging of some governments taking measures to restrict human rights and civil society space within the framework of a national COVID-19 response,” said Ciaran Gallagher, Communications Officer for Trócaire, the official international development agency of the Irish bishops.

“In some of our programming countries, there are concerns that States will use the crisis to extend their power, exert further control and further erode civil society space. This is done through targeting human rights defenders and particular minority groups, unlimited emergency powers, targeting of critics, excessive use of force, mass-digital surveillance by security agencies, imposing censorship and preventing access to reliable health information,” he explained.

Gallagher told Crux there will be other socio-economic impacts of the containment measures in most African countries.

“The containments measures and restrictions on movement have already resulted in significant job losses in the formal and informal economies, shortages of basic goods; a significant movement of people from urban to rural areas – putting pressure on already food insecure households and the closure of schools and universities,” he said.

“In the communities where Trócaire works, people are living day to day. Many are day laborers, traders or farmers. Lockdowns are very difficult for people as they are not in a position to stockpile food and other essential supplies,” Gallagher added.

What follows are excerpts of his interview with Crux.

Crux: COVID-19 has affected all parts of the world, and people of all ages and social status, but an article in Trocaire says it will disproportionately affect Africa’s poorest. Why?

Many countries where we work are most at risk because they don’t have fully functioning health systems. Poverty makes people more vulnerable. If you are living through a drought in somewhere like Malawi or Kenya, you may only be eating once a day. Your immune system is going to be compromised.

Many countries are vulnerable at multiple levels:

– Many don’t have the systems to detect the virus and/or limited testing

– Many don’t have a functioning health service to respond to a mass outbreak

– People have very little income to survive without working during lockdowns.

– In conflict-affected countries, people are living together in very crowded camps. A virus could take hold very easily. People in camps already experience poor health. Cases have been identified in civilian protection camps, including a UN camp in Juba, South Sudan.

A lack of health/medical infrastructure is a major concern: Somalia has less than 20 ICU beds for a population of 15 million; Malawi has less than 25 ICU beds & 7 ventilators for 19 million; Uganda has only 55 ICU beds for 44 million (0.1 ICU beds per 100,000 population); South Sudan has only 2 ventilators for 12 million people; Zimbabwe has less than 20 ventilators for 15 million people.

There are coronavirus cases in all 20 countries where Trócaire supports people, including all countries where we work in Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, DR Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Malawi, and South Sudan.

What have been the economic and social impacts of the crisis on Africa?

In addition to the health impacts of COVID-19, it is clear that there will be socio economic impacts of the containment measure in all our countries of operation. The containments measures and restrictions on movement have already resulted in significant job losses in the formal and informal economies, shortages of basic goods; a significant movement of people from urban to rural areas – putting pressure on already food insecure households and the closure of schools and universities.

Our teams in numerous countries, including Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and elsewhere have reported that there has been a drastic economic and social impact on the communities where Trócaire works.

This is due to the nature of the informal economy in these communities. In the communities where Trócaire works, people are living day to day. Many are day laborers, traders or farmers. Lockdowns are very difficult for people as they are not in a position to stockpile food and other essential supplies.

We work with rural farmers, who feed their families off little more than one acre of land. To make ends meet beyond what they can eat and sell from the land most people have part-time jobs, working as laborers or in mines. In some areas this is no longer possible or severely restricted during the pandemic.

A huge number of people cannot practice social distancing due to the confined nature of where they live. These vulnerable people struggle to maintain stringent hygiene practices as they simply do not have access to running water or soap at home. This threatens to exacerbate the current crisis.

Trócaire has stated that if the health crisis continues, it could result in political unrest in some African countries. Can you explain?

I believe this may be referring to a section of a blog by Trócaire’s Dony Mazingaizo: “Other analysts have been highlighting that if this crisis continues, there may be pockets of social unrest and increase in criminal activity in parts of cities in Africa as young unemployed people and those in the informal sector look at options for survival.”

Additionally, there are significant risks emerging of some governments taking measures to restrict human rights and civil society space within the framework of a national COVID-19 response. In some of our programming countries, there are concerns that States will use the crisis to extend their power, exert further control and further erode civil society space. This is done through targeting human rights defenders and particular minority groups, unlimited emergency powers, targeting of critics, excessive use of force, mass-digital surveillance by security agencies, imposing censorship and preventing access to reliable health information.

There have been news reports from Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda detailing abuses of power – excessive force, arbitrary detention – by police and military in enforcing COVID-19 restrictions.

Trócaire is conscious of the need to maintain an oversight of human rights and civil society space and ensure the crisis is not used to restrict personal freedoms.

How has Trócaire been involved in the response to COVID-19 in Africa?

Trócaire is responding in all countries where we work, varying from risk communications to hand washing stations to supporting quarantine facilities and health centers. We are coordinating programs and planning with partners to see how we can help prevent the spread by funding public health messages, providing soap and water. There is a focus on helping communities protect themselves from the virus. There is huge need and high vulnerability in many countries. But we are responding, and we have experience combating disease outbreaks.

Here are some examples:

– In Somalia, we have a lot of experience from responding to cholera-this required the same set up of isolation wards and strengthening sanitation systems; local partners in Somalia have set up an isolation facility to be able to receive cases; we are disseminating information on the virus and measures to mitigate the spread.

– In Sierra Leone, we are supporting quarantine facilities by providing daily running water, power, hygienic products and food; screening process, facility constriction & water; public awareness – radio programs and jingles, PA systems, hand-washing facilities.

– In Ethiopia: Health and hygiene messaging through radio, megaphone at public places; establish hand washing facilities at Catholic health clinics and community public places, [such as] markets, bus stations; provisions of personal protective materials for health professionals working at Catholic health clinics; Distribution of hygiene items to vulnerable families; provision of food ration to vulnerable women group members.

What appraisal do you make of the response to the pandemic by African governments?

We have seen varying responses in countries where we work, including an immediate response in some countries, ranging from travel restrictions to full lockdowns. However, the response differs greatly from country to country.