COVID-19 Update 10 April 2020
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COVID-19 Update 10 April 2020 IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CURRENT SITUATION FOOD SECURITY & LIVELIHOODS Libya is, without a doubt, a country extremely vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. By 06 April, there were 18 General indirect impacts identified cases in the country. Libya was identified as one of the 27 Macro-economic effects countries “most vulnerable to emerging • Reduction of industrial, oil and tertiary outbreaks of illness" in a Global Health services production affecting domestic Security (GHS) Index report published consumption, and international trade. in March. • Impact on food systems including production The main drivers of vulnerability in (availability) and access (physical and Libya are reliance entirely on imports to economic/prices). meet the needs of its domestic market • Rise of under-employment and as well as multiple governance by unemployment. Government of National Accord (GNA), Libyan National Army (LNA) control Effects on livelihoods: and militias causing a significant rift in • Decreased income and purchasing power due COVID-19 responses. The different to loss of jobs and work opportunities, areas have not been able to form a restricted mobility (internal and international), cohesive response in terms of numbers loss of access to productive inputs, loss of of possible cases, processes, or access to markets, decreased productivity curfews. The different parts of the because of sickness, increased health country have been attempting to expenditures. respond separately. Conflict and • Increased food insecurity linked to decreased shelling also continue despite an food production due to lack of agricultural agreed-upon call for a humanitarian inputs and loss of labour due to sickness or pause. Despite border closures, Libya less manpower. has long land borders with many countries that have limited border • Increased malnutrition due to decreased food management capacity and many cases security and health care of COVID-19. Smuggling continues to • Lack of consideration to specific groups such be an issue, with control of this as IDPs, migrants and some refugees; becoming even more difficult as increased xenophobia. borders remain porous despite regulations. Libya Food Security Sector Page 1 COVID-19 Update 10 April 2020 Impact of measures imposed region have become battlegrounds since last year. due to the pandemic The Importation of goods into Libya may be Displacements affected due to increasing exchange rates and restrictions imposed by exporting countries There have also been small waves of causing a reduction in supply. displacement as a result of reported and The exchange rate on 10 March 2020, reached 5 confirmed cases of COVID-19. In Misrata and LYD/USD, which is the highest recorded figure Tripoli, families have left the city following news of since December 2018. The Central Bank Libya confirmed cases. Many families are worried they (CBL) blocked official access to foreign would increase their chance of exposure if they exchange, making it difficult for importers to pay stayed in urban areas. The lack of guidance or for shipments of goods into the country During enforcement by authorities means that movement March, food prices have remained relatively between cities is still taking place despite curfews stable, but are expected to increase sharply due and restrictions. to the 3-week import blockage. Humanitarian Access The changing curfew and regulations in Libya, the ongoing clashes, and the fact that cities are taking independent decisions to restrict movement and close roads, has the potential to significantly impact the ability of humanitarian agencies to perform in Libya. Since the precautionary measures were introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Libya, humanitarian agencies reported many access constraints that were linked with the March 2020, Libya Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI) precautionary measures taken by the humanitarian agencies themselves as well as the With COVID-19 outbreak, Libya will struggle to important measures imposed by the authorities, finance imports with the limited foreign currency such as putting in place curfews to take effect in which might lead to a shortage of essential order to limit movements. Some agencies have commodities and thus leading to an increase in not been able to dispatch their trucks to deliver food prices. assistance because of the long distances and the Also, since the majority of food products available violation of curfew conditions that such long on the Libyan market are imported, any change in movements may pose. export regulations from countries also tackling Negotiations are ongoing with the relevant COVID-19 will place a severe strain on food authorities for their support to issue exemptions availability and prices in Libya. Government for humanitarian movements and activities so that measures like curfews and closure of shops and assistance continues to be delivered during this also reduced importation due to inaccessibility to time. foreign exchange in Libya, will also cause a reduction or a delay in the supply on products like Supply-Chain beans and pasta therefore forcing prices of the available stock within the country to increase. Libya is a country that relies entirely on imports to meet the needs of its domestic market. For years, Delay in supply chains which may impact on Libya has witnessed continuous fluctuations in the food availability which will lead to an the prices of food due to the ongoing war and the increase in the food prices. constant movement of the exchange rate of the While global markets for basic cereals are well local currency, dinar, against the US dollar. supplied and prices generally low, commodities According to the Libya Joint Monitoring Initiative need to move from the world’s ‘breadbaskets’ to March 2020 Report, the decision to close land where they are consumed. Commodities in Libya borders has led to spikes of food prices in some are imported by sea through the Libyan ports of local markets, since they have to be imported Tripoli, Misrata and Khoms serving western and from abroad. Suppliers are also expecting to see southern Libya and Port Benghazi serving a severe shortage of produce across the country eastern Libya. The COVID-19-related in the near future, as most of the agricultural containment measures have started to make this lands around the capital, as well in the southern more challenging: all air, land and sea borders Libya Food Security Sector Page 2 COVID-19 Update 10 April 2020 are affected, with exemptions for cargo, important source of income and food in all chartered, humanitarian and government entities. assessed areas of the South region. As the Transportation services are disrupted in terms of majority of the farming population farms between availability, lead times and cost as current 5-10 hectares (ha), they are less likely to be disruptions in containerized shipping is creating affected directly by COVID-19 than those in urban uncertainty on international sea transportation, or peri-urban areas. However, the assessment availability and surge in costs. Border closures found that 44% of farming households spend up impact negatively on overland cargo to 75% of their income on food and so food price transportation. Numerous ports have further increases could hit their ability to meet basic started to put health inspections in place which needs other than food. Moreover, up to 75% of will require more cumbersome procedures such the food they consume comes from their own as a disinfection of vessels, causing delays and production, especially vegetables, fruit and animal potentially supply chain hiccups. products. Other food commodities usually consumed (rice, pasta, flower, bread, oil, canned Within Libya, transporters are facing difficulties on products) are purchased from shops and markets movement due to the government curfew and so it is these items that may become more imposed, although there are different timings for difficult to obtain. Most of the households reported the curfew between GNA and LNA controlled that the local population is consuming less areas. Transporters are increasingly facing check preferred food and reducing the number of meals points (some of them are local militia made) per day. These coping strategies help families to where they stop trucks and ask more information. meet their food needs in the face of the protracted so far there are effects of COVID-19 is that local crises and may become more severe the longer authorities are tightening controls on movement the COVID-19 crisis goes on. for international relief from one point to another. Agriculture Food systems – availability and access With Ramadan expected to begin around 24 April, Continued conflict on the most fertile lands in the current inflation of food prices due to COVID- Libya has had a negative impact on agricultural 19 is likely to increase in April. In some locations, activities and affected the availability of inputs. food prices have more than doubled, as some Access to these lands due to curfew and local merchants attempt to take advantage of the movement restrictions with COVID-19, along with current shopping panic. Ramadan may also bring disrupted supply chain, will further negatively COVID-19 exposure risks, as the month is affect the agriculture sector and the farming considered a social and community gathering households. Moreover, Libya relies heavily on time. It will be difficult to impose the current imports (up to 90%) to cover its cereal curfew in Ramadan, and it’s possible that curfew consumption requirements, mostly wheat and times will change to allow more mobility during barley. Livestock will as well be impacted as it the evening hours when people are not fasting. provides the main source of nutrition and income for many farming households. Transboundary LNA distributed supplies of flour and sugar at the animal diseases are among the main constraints governmental supply price in eastern region that lower the performance of the livestock sector cities. Other regions, such as the west or the through reducing the production and quality of south, have no such procedures from the GNA.