COVID-19: African countries must reopen their borders - World Bank
- The World Bank has advised African countries to reopen their borders to allow the transport of essential commodities
- It argued that the closure of borders could lead to an increase in the prices of such products
- The World Bank revealed that 31 African countries had closed their borders as at the end of March 2020
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The World Bank has advised African countries to reopen their borders even as the coronavirus continues to affect people globally.
It argued that there is an urgent need for the transport of medical supplies, food and other necessities.
The World Bank revealed that as at the end of March 2020, 31 countries had closed their borders.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Ghana closes all borders after recording 21 cases and 1 death
A Business and Financial Times report shows that cross-border trade on a small scale helps to provide for about 43% of Africa’s population.
Activities in such areas, YEN.com.gh has learned, are mostly agricultural products needed to maintain food security.
The World Bank, however, added that it is necessary for the borders to be consistent with a strategy of containment and in accordance with multilateral provisions of transit.
It added that restrictions on exports could lead to an increase in the prices of COVID-19-related foods.
The measure, the Bank went on, could also limit the supply of such products to areas that need them the most.
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the World Bank cautioned African countries against measures such as lockdowns adopted to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
It argued that such measures may work well in advanced countries but may come with challenges in Africa. For that reason, it went on, it is necessary for African governments to designs systems that would suit prevailing conditions.
The strategy has backfired in some African countries because most of the workforce is in the informal sector.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Akufo-Addo extends border closure by 14 days
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