Hunger linked to Covid-19 – food insecurity arising from job losses and other consequences of the global lockdown – could claim the lives of up to 12 000 people a day by the end of the year, according to Oxfam.

Daily deaths from hunger could exceed the toll of the coronavirus by then.

Fin24 reported that the NGO cited South Africa as one among middle-income countries ‘experiencing rapidly rising levels of hunger as millions of people that were just about managing have been tipped over the edge by the pandemic’.

The report also noted that the Foundation for Human Rights said a survey it had conducted among 127 community-based advice offices during Level 4 and 5 of the lockdown in South Africa revealed hunger as the ‘most serious implication’ felt by respondents.

South Africa recorded 12 349 new cases yesterday, taking the cumulative total to 250 687 (with 118 232 recoveries). Deaths rose by 140 – 66 in the Western Cape, 39 in Gauteng, 24 in the Eastern Cape and 11 in KwaZulu-Natal – taking the toll to 3 860.

A new Oxfam reported was quoted by Fin24 as saying: ‘The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that the number of people experiencing crisis level hunger will rise to 270 million before the end of the year as a result of the pandemic, an 82% increase since 2019.

‘This means between 6 000 and 12 000 people per day could die from hunger linked to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic before the end of the year, perhaps more than will die each day from the disease by that point.’

The organisation said rising joblessness, loss of income and price gouging among retailers were behind South Africa’s rapidly rising food insecurity.

It said: ‘Weekly polling conducted since the start of lockdown has revealed that unemployment and loss of income is having a direct impact on food security.

‘One in three adults surveyed said they were going to bed hungry, and a fifth had lost weight during the lockdown because of a lack of food.’

In other virus-related news

  • The possible return of an alcohol sales ban has been tabled for discussion by the National Coronavirus Command Council, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. Medical authorities were anxious about the impact of rising alcohol-related trauma cases on the health system;
  • Gauteng Premier David Makhura tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday, and is in self-isolation. He had decided to self-quarantine after experiencing mild symptoms on Wednesday;
  • Bloomberg reported that Moody’s Investors Service predicted that South African government debt could rise by 40 percentage points over the next three years as strong, widespread fiscal pressures and persistently low economic growth weigh on the country’s credit profile. This would push government debt as a percentage of GDP well over 100% and much higher than the 87.4% peak the Treasury projected for 2023-24; and
  • Police Minister Bheki Cele said Covid-19 had claimed the lives of 36 police officers and infected 5 000.

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