• While conveying the message at the beginning of the service, archbishop Philip Anyolo said this was in keeping with the family of the late president.
• The same message was reiterated at the end of the prayer service by Bishop Martin Kivuva.
Near the banks of the White Nile in South Sudan, residents of a settlement are among the latest recipients of COVID-19 vaccines, as efforts continue to take them to more locations in the country.
The area of Mangalla hosts a settlement of internally displaced people, many of whom were affected by floods in June 2020.
Near the banks of the White Nile in South Sudan, residents of a settlement are among the latest recipients of COVID-19 vaccines, as efforts continue to take them to more locations in the country.
The area of Mangalla hosts a settlement of internally displaced people, many of whom were affected by floods in June 2020.
• While conveying the message at the beginning of the service, archbishop Philip Anyolo said this was in keeping with the family of the late president.
• The same message was reiterated at the end of the prayer service by Bishop Martin Kivuva.
Photo Courtesy IMF
The effects of the war in Ukraine leave policymakers with little room to maneuver.
Sub-Saharan African countries find themselves facing another severe and exogenous shock. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a surge in food and fuel prices that threatens the region’s economic outlook. This latest setback could not have come at a worse time—as growth was starting to recover and policymakers were beginning to address the social and economic legacy of COVID-19 pandemic and other development challenges. The effects of the war will be deeply consequential, eroding standards of living and aggravating macroeconomic imbalances.
We now expect growth to slow to 3.8 percent this year from last year’s better-than-expected 4.5 percent, according to our latest Regional Economic Outlook. Though we project annual growth to average 4 percent over the medium term, it will be too slow to make up for ground lost to the pandemic. Inflation in the region is expected to remain elevated in 2022 and 2023 at 12.2 percent and 9.6 percent respectively—the first time since 2008 that regional average inflation will reach such high levels.
There are three main channels through which the war is impacting countries—with notable differentiation both across and within countries:
Countries need a careful policy response to address these daunting challenges. Fiscal policy will need to be targeted to avoid adding to debt vulnerabilities. Policymakers should as much as possible use direct transfers to protect the most vulnerable households. Improving access to finance for farmers and small businesses would also help.
Countries that can’t provide targeted transfers can use temporary subsidies or targeted tax reductions, with clear end dates. If well-designed, they can protect households by providing time to adjust to international prices more gradually. To enhance resilience to future crises, it remains important for these countries to develop effective social safety nets. Digital technology, such as mobile money or smart cards, could be used to better target social transfers, as Togo did during the pandemic.
Net commodity-importers, such as Benin, Ethiopia and Malawi, will need to find resources to protect the vulnerable by reprioritizing spending. Net exporters, like Nigeria, are likely to benefit from rising oil prices, but a fiscal gain is only possible if the fuel subsidies they provide are contained. It is important that windfalls are largely directed to strengthen policy buffers, supported by strong fiscal institutions such as a credible medium-term fiscal framework and a strong public financial management system.
To navigate the trade-off between curbing inflation and supporting growth, central banks will need to monitor price developments carefully and raise interest rates if inflation expectations drift up. They must also guard against the financial stability risks posed by higher rates and maintain a credible policy framework underpinned by strong independence and clear communication.
The need for international solidarity
The international community must step up to ease the food security crisis. The IMF’s recent joint statement with the World Bank, the United Nations World Food Programme and the World Trade Organization called for emergency food supplies, financial support, including grants, increased agricultural production and unhindered trade, among other measures.
Following through on the commitment by Group of Twenty countries to re-channel $100 billion of their IMF Special Drawing Rights allocation to vulnerable countries would be a major contribution to the region’s short-term liquidity needs and longer-term development. There are options for re-channeling SDRs, for example through the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust or the newly created Resilience and Sustainability Trust, which has received almost $40 billion in pledges.
Finally, for some countries, restoring debt sustainability will require debt re-profiling or an outright restructuring of their public debt. To make this a reality, the G20 Common Framework needs to better define its debt restructuring process and timeline, and the enforcement of the comparability of treatment among creditors. Importantly, debt service payments should be suspended until an agreement is reached.
By Abebe Aemro Selassie and Peter Kovacs IMF Blog
Families enter Uganda via the Bunagana border crossing after fleeing violent clashes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that began in late March. © UNHCR/Yonna Tukundane
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and 44 humanitarian partners are urgently appealing for US$47.8 million to respond to the critical needs of thousands of refugees who arrived in Uganda this year, fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and sporadic clashes in South Sudan.
Since January, Uganda has generously welcomed over 35,000 refugees. A third of those have arrived in just the past three weeks from the DRC, fleeing intense fighting in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
As reports of violence in eastern DRC and South Sudan continue, this appeal will also strengthen Uganda’s capacity to receive more refugees in case of further displacement.
UNHCR is coordinating with the Government of Uganda and humanitarian partners to provide emergency assistance and protection to refugees in border areas, and we are making efforts to relocate them to refugee settlements as soon as possible.
Needs are surging for protection, food, shelter and essential household items. Funding will also support urgently needed health-care supplies, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene services required to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases.
Uganda already hosts over 1.5 million refugees – the largest refugee population on the African continent – and is now receiving thousands of new arrivals from South Sudan, in West Nile State to the north, and the DRC, arriving in southwestern Uganda. While this influx may not be dominating the headlines, the challenges are significant and mounting.
The Uganda Emergency Appeal is intended to support coordinated efforts for an initial emergency response to the influx of up to 60,000 refugees in Uganda in the first half of 2022, with 45,000 new arrivals from April to June 2022. Source:UNHCR
• The orders which are part of ‘Order Setting Deadline for Defence Requests’ were issued by presiding judge Miatta Maria Samba.
•The first appearance of Gicheru before the Court took place on November 6, 2020.
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