Repositioning RUFORUM to adapt to the changing landscape and to cope up with global funding melt-down

It is now six months since the early cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in China. The global infections have reached over eight million, over 450,000 deaths and are still rising. Measures taken by governments at national and regional level have had a knock on effect on the global economy with permeating effects to local and household level. The world’s topmost economies such as the US, China, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and many others have taken a significant hit and are at the verge of unprecedented recessions. This has caused significant disruptions in Oversees Development Assistance that these countries have often provided to developing States as reprioritisation is judiciously implemented.

Development work in most parts of the world including Africa is primarily funded through the Oversees Development Assistance and by philanthropists who in many ways derive their contributions through national budgets and the functioning markets and viability of their enterprises. COVID-19 is creating clogs into revenue streams for both governments as well as private sector individuals and yet at the same time, governments in nearly all countries are making considerable investments at country level to respond to the COVID-19 situation. Accordingly, reprioritization have been undertaken.

Read more