Malawi ’s COVID-19 Cash Transfer Almost Ready But Election Fever may Prevent Lockdown

Malawi’s small scale traders selling their merchandise at Limbe market in Blantyre. Credit: Lameck Masina/IPS By Lameck MasinaBLANTYRE, Malawi, Jun 11 2020 (IPS) Malawi remains one of the few nations in the world that has not gone into a coronavirus lockdown as the government rushes to meet the conditions of a court order to implement a cash transfer scheme for the poor before doing so. But as some parts of the world are slowing coming out of their lockdowns, it could be likely this southern African nation won’t go into one as the rerun of the country’s presidential election nears.  On Apr. 27, President Peter Mutharika announced the roll out of a multimillion dollar emergency cash transfer exercise aimed to cushion the peri urban poor from the impact of the coronavirus. Mutharika said the $51 million bailout initiative targeted 172,000 households in the cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba. The exercise, which was expected to roll out in May, was in response to demands from civil rights organisations, who obtained a court injunction against a planned 21-day lockdown scheduled to start Apr. 18, outlining the lack of measures to cushion the country’s vulnerable. The court ruled the cash transfer scheme be implemented and a lockdown would be suspended until then. Under the World Bank-funded programme, beneficiaries will receive MK35, 000 (about $47) a month, for six months. Country’s vulnerable still waiting Widow Elizabeth Longwe has been earning h...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa Aid Development & Aid Editors' Choice Featured Headlines Health Human Rights Population Poverty & SDGs Regional Categories TerraViva United Nations Cash Transfers Coronavirus COVID-19 Elections Malawi Source Type: news