MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2020) Sanctions imposed by the United States on Zimbabwe are strangling the southern African country's ability to receive financial assistance from international organizations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic while exacerbating an already dire economic situation, Zimbabwean Ambassador to Russia Mike Sango told Sputnik.
"The country is under US-imposed illegal economic sanctions, thus, further compounding its ability to mitigate against the COVID-19 pandemic. The fight against COVID-19 now takes precedence, and scarce resources are being channeled towards that effort," Sango said.
Sanctions amid a life-threatening pandemic and disrupted supply chains of crucial medical products have left the country with no choice but to seek other means of coping with the crisis, the ambassador said. Among such measures, he cited the example of Zimbabwean-born billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, who has appealed to international stakeholders with a request for financial assistance to sanctions-hit African countries during the global pandemic.
"One of Zimbabwe's nationals has appealed to the international community to assist Zimbabwe and Sudan, the two African countries under US sanctions, with financial resources outside the sanctions regime to fight the pandemic. The funds will specifically be channeled towards the purchase of personal protective equipment and ventilators and paying health workers," the ambassador said.
According to Sango, all financial assistance to Zimbabwe will be overseen and disbursed by a specially designated organization, rather than the government.
Zimbabwe has been under US sanctions since the early 2000s, with Washington citing undemocratic practices, human rights abuses and economic mismanagement by the country's government.
As of Wednesday, Zimbabwe has reported 34 cases of COVID-19, including four fatalities. It is believed that the low infection rate in Zimbabwe is due to the country's low testing capacity.
