The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has called for the lifting of sanctions on all countries, including Zimbabwe,  in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. Guterres made the call in his letter to the G-20 member countries arguing that the move would allow for the access essential medical material required to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, the U.S. renewed sanctions against President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration on accusations of human rights violations and the

Zimbabwean authorities have begun enforcing a three-week lockdown in its fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus after the disease left one person dead and infected six others. President Emmerson Mnangagwa had come under attack from Zimbabweans for delaying announcing the full lockdown but for many, the lockdown means tough times ahead.

The United Nations secretary-general has warned that the increase in social and economic pressures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has led to a global increase in violence against women and girls. Many countries have reported a surge in domestic violence incidents and calls to abuse hotlines since the pandemic started spreading globally earlier this year.

Zimbabwe is facing its worst hunger crisis in a decade with half of the population food insecure, the World Food Programme has said. The alert follows an earlier warning from a UN-appointed independent rights expert that the southern African country - once seen as the breadbasket of Africa - is in the grip of "man-made starvation". In Geneva, WFP spokesperson Bettina Luescher said that almost U.S.$300 million was