shut down economies from virus could lead to massive starvation

on my main blog, I have written about the increase in poverty and need for food aid here in the Philippines: my latest report HERE.


but not much is being written about how it might affect Africa.

There are some reports that genetics makes Africans less likely to get the virus, but that hasn't been the case in the USA. And in Africa, one wonders if the climate//sunshine might lower the spread (i.e. when it is warm, you don't have people indoors as much, but in todays' world of buses, factories, schools, etc that might not be true).

Virtueonline, an Anglican website, has posted an article about the virus in Africa: not a lot of numbers next to the many thousands who die from malaria or other common diseases, but the pressure to use western style prevention methods might make things worse.

and yes, many of these countries will stop planting the next crop for prevention of virus spread: but I wonder if this is overdoing it: Here in the Philippines after some mix ups about food and rice delivery trucks being allowed to go though check points, things have improved. And our farmers are harvesting here, even though we have a strict lockdown of our town (although one suspects family members won't be able to come back from Manila to help with the harvest, our people here in town can drive out to the farm in cars to help with the harvest... I don't know if this is true in other areas.

but this report of strict urban style lockdowns in rural areas is disturbing: If true, more will die of starvation than any virus.

Pastor Campos Afonso's report from churches in Angola is repeated throughout the continent where most states are in lockdown. The President of Angola declared a quarantine and State of Emergency from 27 March-11 April. All church meetings are closed. Pastors, leaders and members are observing the measures in their homes to combat the virus from spreading.
If the lockdown situation of COVID-19 continues it will affect the 2020 harvest because people will not be able to work in the fields. The lockdown means a shortage of work, tools and transport to take products from the countryside to the cities.
Lack of transport also means people cannot get from the cities to work on their family land to gather the harvest. Products collected this year will rot in the fields. New seeds will be in short supply for cultivation in the next year.
People are consuming the products that were being reserved as seeds for planting in 20202021 after having sold the December and January production. Most have nothing to eat in this period of isolation. Many could die of hunger instead of being killed by COVID-19. Locals say that church intervention is needed to help the most vulnerable people and poor Christians.