In March 2020, the deadly virus (COVID-19) ravaging the world spread to Africa. The situation since then has gotten worse, as over 24,000 confirmed reported cases by the WHO.
While efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic have intensified, the effects of some measures taken like lockdown are increasingly making life difficult for the average man on the streets of Africa.
There’s an increasing concern in some countries, like Nigeria, as there’s an increasing level of hunger.
New figures in the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises by the World Food Programme, show the number of people suffering from extreme hunger may increase to over 250 million. The reports further highlight African countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Dr Congo, and South Asia as the most vulnerable.
“These are the people I’m most worried about. They did not need COVID-19. Even without it, their lives were hanging by a thread”, WFP chief economist Arif Husain said in a press statement on April 16.
Similar to developed nations, governments, businesses, and startups in Africa are providing foods, palliatives along with other help during this period.
Also, actors across the crypto and blockchain scene in Africa are contributing their quota to help reduce the impact of the pandemic across the continent.
Africa’s crypto and blockchain respond to COVID-19 pandemic
On March 30, South African headquartered cryptocurrency exchange, iCE3X launched an initiative to donate toilet paper to the city of Matlosana weekly. join the fight against the corona pandemic.
Nigerian-based crypto payment gateway FliqPay in partnership with Lagos-based Iranwo Foundation launched a COVID-19 relief fund to provide foods amongst other basic needs to low-income families during the lockdown.
South African-based crypto platform Valr exchange also established a #Crypto4COVID weekly contribution to help the country in the fight against the pandemic.
Lagos-based cryptocurrency-focused startups with notable names like BeepMagnet, CryptoTVPlus, KubitX, Digital Abundance, and a host of others launched the #Blockchain4COVID-19 charity fund to help the poor around.
