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The world is now grappling with the impact the Covid-19 shock has had on social safety nets.

Efforts by Government to expand safety nets, initially intended to mitigate the effects of drought on people’s livelihoods, to contain Covid-19-induced poverty, are in line with what is happening in the rest of the world.

Social safety net programmes protect families from the impact of economic shocks, natural disasters, and other crises.

Reads a statement by the World Bank: “An estimated 36 percent of the very poor escaped extreme poverty because of social safety nets, providing clear evidence that social safety net programmes — which include cash, in-kind transfers, social pensions, public works, and school feeding programmes targeted to poor and vulnerable households — are making a substantial impact in the global fight against poverty.”

Covid-19 has affected livelihoods in a number of ways. For starters, the majority of working Zimbabweans are in the informal sector which is almost at standstill as a result of the national lockdown.

Those in formal employment are no longer reporting for work, while companies have either scaled down operations or closed completely. It is feared that some companies might never re-open or will resume operations with lesser staff.

Diaspora remittances which many Zimbabweans rely on, have also been hard hit by anti-coronavirus measures. Zimbabweans in the diaspora are not being paid, hence they cannot send any money.

As we reported yesterday, to alleviate challenges people are facing, Government is scaling up social protection programmes that include grain distribution to vulnerable communities, cash transfers for cereal, public assistance cash transfer for Covid-19 relief as well as harmonised social cash transfers.

In addition, Government is also scaling up child protection services, provisions for the physically challenged as well as support to ensure the safety for those rendering essential services. The social safety net programmes mark significant interventions by Government to lessen the burden on the poor and vulnerable during a difficult period for the country.

A total of 7 114 tonnes of grain was distributed to vulnerable communities in all the eight rural provinces during the month of April 2020. Nearly $4 million has been disbursed as cash for cereal beneficiaries to over 21 000 households in Bulawayo and Harare, while over $4,7 million benefitted 26 140 beneficiary households in Bindura, Kariba, Kwekwe, Gwanda, Plummet, Shurugwi, Mvuma and Beitbridge.

Obviously, more still needs to be done to alleviate extreme poverty.

We urge the corporate world and international partners to continue supporting Government, which already has other responsibilities waiting on limited resources.

Also, we may sound like a broken record, but sanctions imposed by the West are not making the situation any better.

A virtual meeting of the African Union Bureau chaired by the AU chairman and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday and lasting for close to two hours, also reiterated that sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and Sudan should be lifted immediately to give the two countries enough time to fight Covid-19.

Last month, the United Nations added its voice to the call for suspension of the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe and other countries in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Just like the fight against Covid-19, the global fight against poverty can only be won when all state and non-state actors work together.