An Ethiopian economist has pleaded the international community not to forget Africa in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The political economist said the strategic location of Africa makes it an important player in the global economy.
"If ignored, it will create serious obstacles in the recovery of the global economy in the post-COVID-19 world," he said.
African countries have so far reported more than 150,000 pandemic cases with more than 4,400 deaths, according to the data compiled by Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. As many as 67,007 people have recovered as well.
Abdurezack, who teaches economics at Addis Ababa University said while the share of Africa in global trade may be limited, but it is the destination of sizeable merchandise trade and financial inflows.
"Protecting Addis Ababa is as important as protecting Brussels or Ankara," he said while praising Turkey’s efforts to help African countries by sending sanitary and medical supplies.
Apprehending that the economic crisis resulted from the virus outbreak may trigger social and political unrest, he said instability will have a cascading effect on developed countries as well. They will lose demand for their products, he said.
The economist added that helping Africa at this juncture is important to control an inevitable political and economic instability that may sweep the continent and lead to a mass exodus.
Pointing out that the informal sector is the backbone of employment generation especially in urban centers, the economist said the lack of insurance facility or other arrangements to protect this sector will further exacerbate the economic crisis in the continent.