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One hundred eighty one patients have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out today at Quarantine Centers in the Southern and Gash Barka Regions as well as at OPD Services in Asmara, Central Region.

The 169 patients at Quarantine Centers are in:  Senafe (43), Decamere (36), Enda Ghiorgis (19), Adi-Koteyo (12), Mendefera (4), Molki (2) and Adi Keih (1) in the Southern Region; and, Agordat (50) and Tessenie (2) in Gash Barka Region.  Patients from OPD services in Asmara are 12. 
On the other hand, twenty patients who were receiving medical treatment in hospitals in the Southern (18), Anseba (1), and, Northern Red Sea Regions (1) have recovered fully and have been released from these facilities.
The total number of recovered patients to-date accordingly stands at 643 while the number of deaths is one.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country to-date has risen to 1220.
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Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (29 December 2020)

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Yesterday we reported 1 011 871 cumulative cases with over 7000 new cases. In this last epidemiological week we have surpassed the peak of the first wave and we had indicated that the epidemiological picture would compel us to tighten restrictions.

The majority of new cases today are from KwaZulu-Natal with 2 275 (30,5%) followed by Western Cape at 2 191 cases (29,4%), Gauteng at 1 849 cases (24,8%) and Eastern Cape at 384 cases (5,1%).

The overall positivity for the newly tested individuals is 32,9%, with Western Cape at 45,6%, followed by Limpopo at 41,0%, KwaZulu-Natal at 36,0% and Mpumalanga at 33,1%. These positivity rates are extremely high and are a major concern. Overall we need to test more and target a positivity rate of 10% or less.

11 256 patients are currently hospitalised- this is 8,3 % of our active cases. Of these 3 543 are on oxygen and 604 are on ventilators.

According to the resurgence thresholds, the majority of districts in South Africa are in Response Phase- this means greater than or equal to 20% increase in new COVID-19 cases compared to 7 days prior (based on the 7- day moving average) OR greater than or equal to a total of 30 cases per 100 000 population in the last 7 days. (There must have been a minimum total of 10 cases per 100 000 population in the last 7 days)

To determine whether a district or province is a ‘hotspot’ or in a ‘resurgence’ each of the resurgence monitoring indicators were assessed for the district or province.

These are:

 	New COVID-19 cases per day 	Testing rate / unit population 	Percentage positivity rate 	Active cases (incidence risk) 	Current COVID-19 hospital admissions 	COVID-19 mortality 	All-cause mortality 
The Criteria for provinces or districts meeting the ‘hotspot’ or ‘resurgence’ criteria:

 	The province or district has crossed the Response threshold; 	The resurgence indicators support the Response classification showing a similar trend (high positivity rates, increase in active cases, increase in hospitalisations, increase in mortality); 	The trends are investigated for 7 days and determination is made as to whether the increase is a result of cluster outbreaks or localized outbreaks 	If the district has maintained a sustained upward trend, the determination of whether the area is a ‘hotspot’ is made by an expert committee (in collaboration with the National and Provincial Departments of Health) taking into consideration the rate of community transmission and the strain on the healthcare system. 	The ‘hotspot’ or ‘resurgence’ declaration is then be made by the Minister for Health in collaboration with his provincial counterparts. 
It was through this process that the hotspots, as announced by the President yesterday, were declared.

The Provinces are now instituting their tailored resurgence plans, adapted from the surge plan that was developed together with WHO. The key focus areas of the resurgence plan are:

 	Governance and leadership 	Medical supplies 	Port and Environmental Health 	Epidemiology and response 	Facility readiness &#038; case management 	Information systems 	Risk communication and community engagement 	Occupational health and safety 	Human resources for health 
The safety of our Health Care workers remain paramount and we are concerned by the rising numbers of professionals becoming infected with COVID-19 during this second wave. We continue to engage Unions and have appraised them of the resurgence plan and outline the provincial readiness plans. It will greatly assist us to welcome, in a few days, 2 367 medical interns, 1 693 medical community service practitioners who will form part of a 7 895 strong community service workforce from all categories. This will provide relief to our exhausted frontline workers. Currently, overall availability of PPE is at 87.1%. We encourage unions to access the dashboard and and use the Stock Visibility System to assist us with stock surveillance and movement and continue to be active participants in OHS committees as was jointly resolved over the course of the pandemic.

We are also cognizant of the non-COVID related services that need to continue. The alcohol ban will greatly assist to reduce the trauma burden on our facilities over the festive season and save lives. We are still rolling out our catch up programmes to ensure that other essential health services continue to be delivered and remind the public that our facilities remain open for non- COVID related consultations with triage mechanisms to ensure that patients are not exposed to COVID-19 while visiting our facilities. We do not want a situation where we bring COVID-19 under control, only to find that other major public health burdens become exacerbated by neglect.

We remind citizens to ensure they access the following essential services:
 	Immunizations for children 	Antenatal Care for expectant mothers 	Screening and testing for other communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV, and TB 	Screening and testing for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes prostate, Cervical and breast cancer 	Voluntary male circumcision 
Issued by: Department of Health
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Coronavirus: South Africa – Minister Zweli Mkhize: NCCC press briefing on adjusted Coronavirus COVID-19 Alert Level 3 lockdown regulations

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The Nelson Mandela Metro and the Sarah Baartman Districts, two of the six health districts in the Eastern Cape Province have been reporting upward increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases during first three weeks of November. These were attributed to among others poor adherence to social distancing, inappropriate mask-wearing and other challenging hygiene practices.  Most were also traced to local universities, schools and attendance of large gatherings.

In Port Elizabeth, the WHO Representative in South Africa, Dr Kaluwa joined the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize and the Eastern Cape MEC of Health Ms Sindiswa Gomba in their oversight visit of the affected districts and:
 	Received status update from the local senior health officials and the Mayor of Sarah Baartman Municipality, Cr Khunjuzwa Eunice Kekana.  At the time there were 4,991 active cases in Nelson Mandela Metro, with 437 new cases and 15 deaths reported a day before the oversight visit.  The incidence risk for Nelson Mandela Bay was 374/100000 of the population and the mortality rate stood at 4.1% on the day of the provided update with 166 health workers in isolation.  The update was also attended by senior health officials and doctors from the two districts as well as delegations of municipal representatives and religious and traditional leaders. 	Inspected the newly renovated 100-bed Covid-19 ward at Dora Nginza Hospital to can, amongst others: 
 	Cope with the anticipated increase in the number of patients from the affected Districts, 	Implement strict infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to minimize healthcare-associated transmission of COVID-19 among the healthcare workers.  
In East London, Dr Kaluwa, in committing to help limit and interrupt further on going COVID-19 transmission in Nelson Mandela Metro and Sarah Baartman Districts, he repurposed additional staff to the Province to support monitoring and effectiveness of the Provincial and Districts responses, bolster risk communication and community engagement, strengthen infection and prevention measures, promotion of uptake of community targeted testing and heightening of contact tracing. 
He introduced the repurposed staff to the Eastern Cape Province’s Member of the Executive on Health (MEC), Ms Sindiswa Gomba, and her senior management team leading the Province’s COVID-19 response.  Ms Gomba extended her gratitude to Dr Kaluwa and WHO for availing needed technical and material support dedicated to strengthen the response in the affected districts.  According to her, the support will also contribute to strengthening the ongoing provincial response activities; and assist affected districts with development of local level interventions including building capacities to identify strengths and gaps that would inform and guide response priorities to control the ongoing rise of case”.
Dr Kaluwa shared his appreciation of the Province’s acceptance of WHO support. He also acknowledged the Province’s effort in stepping up its response effort including measures to protect and save the lives of high-risk groups.
Acting Head of Eastern Cape Department of Health, Dr Sibongile Zungu, said her team was ready for the WHO surge team. “We have been working with WHO experts in the province and additional dedicated ones to the affected Districts are welcomed.  On the ground we know they will strengthen the response including transfer of skills to the local health staff, intensifying contact tracing, daily community mobilization, ensuring the readiness of health facilities, and dealing with cluster outbreaks.”
Before introducing additional staff to the Province’s leadership, Dr Kaluwa, held a meeting with them and shared the importance of their deployment to the province.  He advised them to work closely with their respective counterparts and ensure that they transfer skills and at the same time also be ready to learn. The staff would be deployed immediately to the two affected districts and while others would remain at provincial level focusing on coordination of the response and monitoring other districts situations ensuring rapid interventions are implemented as triggered by the evolution of the respective situation.
The situation in the Eastern Cape has also received attention of the National Government to work closely with the provincial government, municipalities and other institutions in the Province to ensure that the outbreak is contained and managed.
The Eastern Cape Province visit by Dr Kaluwa followed on four others he has already undertaken to KwaZulu Natal, North West, Free State and Gauteng Provinces where the WHO COVID-19 Response technical experts are deployed. In these provinces, he continued to meet with senior officials and WHO deployees.  Emerging from these meetings are that WHO’s continued support and the deployed technical experts are valuable. The provinces have seen improvements in the implementation of the Incident Management System (coordination of the COVID-19 response), practice of Infection Prevention and Control in health facilities, conducting surveillance and contact tracing, addressing communities risk of exposure and reducing impact of COVID-19, operation of isolation and quarantine site and execution of referral mechanisms.
With WHO support, all provinces have completed their COVID-19 Intra-action Reviews which informed their respective COVID-19 Resurgence Plan.
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Coronavirus – South Africa: WHO scales up support to reinforce Eastern Cape Province COVID-19 response

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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been forced to drastically reduce its humanitarian activities in Bouar in Nana-Mambéré prefecture after its office was raided. Some ICRC staff will be moved to other locations in the Central African Republic until security in the town can be restored.

During the night of 27 December, armed individuals broke into the ICRC&#39;s premises in Bouar. They injured three guards before looting the buildings and removing all equipment and supplies, including veterinary products that were destined to support livestock owners.

&#8220;This attack is completely unacceptable. We cannot work in these conditions,&#8221; said Bruce Biber, the ICRC&#39;s head of delegation in the Central African Republic. &#8220;We have no choice but to temporarily scale down our humanitarian operations and to restrict the movements of our teams in Nana-Mambéré until the security situation in Bouar improves. At the same time, we are determined to continue, and even to increase, our activities in other parts of the country that have been particularly affected by the current fighting.&#8221;

Around the same time, an armed individual entered the grounds of the ICRC-supported hospital in Kaga-Bandoro and robbed security staff of their personal possessions at gunpoint.

These incidents are taking place in the context of a deteriorating security situation that has suddenly worsened over the past few weeks following clashes between armed groups and state forces. Tensions linked to the elections have prompted the ICRC to send out its teams in recent days – together with staff from the Central African Red Cross Society – to help the wounded and to transport them to health facilities. The ICRC also plans to send an emergency surgical team to Kaga-Bandoro Hospital to support the team there.

As fresh violence erupted in the town of Bambari on 22 December, the ICRC&#39;s teams evacuated 15 wounded people to the local hospital and took three dead to the mortuary. In Bangui, the ICRC has provided medicines and equipment to several of the town&#39;s hospitals, which have been overwhelmed by the influx of wounded people. The ICRC is also visiting people who have been detained as a result of the violence. None of these humanitarian activities can take place unless humanitarian workers are protected and can work in safety.

&#8220;We will not tire of reiterating the point that humanitarian workers are not a target. Every time we are attacked, it is our capacity to help the most vulnerable that is limited,&#8221; stressed Bruce Biber. He added, &#8220;Health-care facilities and workers, sick and wounded people, and medical transport must be respected. Staff providing medical care must have access to the wounded, they must be able to provide first aid or any other treatment to anyone who needs it.&#8221;

For several years now, the ICRC has been running major programmes in Bangui, Bouar, Kaga-Bandoro, Ndélé and Bambari to help people affected by armed conflict and violence. The ICRC provides all people, without distinction, with emergency food supplies, basic items and seed. It reunites separated families, visits people who have been detained, treats sick and wounded people, improves vulnerable people&#39;s access to water and helps them restart their livelihoods. All of these programmes, some of which are run jointly with the country&#39;s National Society, save lives and alleviate the suffering of thousands of people.
The ICRC calls on all parties to increase their efforts to make sure people can receive the help they so desperately need.
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Central African Republic: ICRC condemns attack on its Bouar office and calls for humanitarian workers to be respected

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As of 1pm on 28 December, the Western Cape has 38 881 active COVID-19 infections with a total of 196 474 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 151 261 recoveries.

Total confirmed COVID-19 cases
196 474
Total recoveries
151 261
Total deaths
6332
Total active cases (currently infected patients)
38 881
Tests conducted
1005085
Hospitalisations
3064 with 363 of these in ICU or high care

The Western Cape has recorded 122 additional deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 6332. We send our condolences to their loved ones at this time.
Additional data is available on the Western Cape COVID-19 data dashboard which also features active cases per sub-district, active cases per 100 000 and 7-day moving averages. Access the data dashboard here: http://bit.ly/2BsfdXt
​We must all work to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the Western Cape:
Over the weekend, the Western Cape surpassed the mark for 1 million COVID-19 tests conducted in the province (both public and private sector) since the start of the pandemic. Testing is an important tool in the management of this virus, but it can never give us a complete picture of the situation. Testing must always go hand in hand with personal responsibility, infection prevention strategies and quarantine and isolation in order to have the most significant impact on slowing the spread of the virus.
As it currently stands, the proportion of tests that return a positive result in the province is above 45%. This is higher than the proportion recorded during the peak of the first wave and is very concerning to us. We have also recorded more active cases and more hospitalisations in this second wave, than we did at the peak of the first.
The province, has since March, recorded almost 200 000 COVID-19 cases. While the vast majority of these have been able to recover, many have become seriously ill and required hospitalisation. Over 6300 people have now lost their lives to this virus in the Western Cape. We must all do everything we can to slow the spread of COVID-19, and to save lives.
You can do this by: avoiding large crowds of people and gatherings, ensuring that when you do go out, that you are wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and washing your hands regularly. Avoid crowded places, confined spaces and close contact. 
If you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, sore throat, a cough or a loss of smell or taste, you must quarantine yourself and avoid contact with others until you are able to be tested. If you test positive, you must remain in isolation for a period of ten days from the onset of your symptoms so that you do not infect anyone else. If at any stage during your illness you experience trouble breathing, you must seek medical attention.
Due to the high demand for testing in the province at the moment, we have introduced a risk adjusted testing strategy in the Cape Metro region in order to ensure that testing is reserved for situations where there is the most risk.
The new testing criteria for the public sector in the Cape metro only, includes:

 	People with coronavirus symptoms admitted to hospital 	People with coronavirus symptoms, who reside in large, group, confined spaces (old age homes, care homes, prisons etc) 	People with COVID-19 symptoms and who are at high risk of severe disease including those over 45 years old, and those with one or more of the following co-morbidities: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart, kidney or lung disease, cancer, TB and HIV (and not on ARV treatment) 	Pre-operative testing of asymptomatic patients awaiting surgery 	Natural deaths at home, where coronavirus symptoms were experienced prior to death 	All healthcare workers with COVID-19 symptoms and healthcare workers who are in quarantine and asymptomatic at day 7 (in order that they can return to work) 	Those who have previously tested positive but have developed new symptoms should only be tested 90 days after their first PCR test 
In the rest of the province- anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms can still be tested.
Issued by: Western Cape Office of the Premier
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Government.

Premier Alan Winde update on Coronavirus COVID-19 on 28 December

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NAW: Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, is truly a force of nature and one of Africa’s unsung ‘sheroes’ of women’s empowerment and health advocates. Here at the NAW, we will be right behind this inspirational woman, all the way; SENATE APPOINTMENT in December 2020: Dr Rasha Kelej appointed as a Senator, member of the Egyptian Senate (2020-2025) by President of Egypt, H.E. Mr. ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISI.

Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Member of Egyptian Senate (2020-2025) has been named one of the most influential African women in the world for 2020, for the third time. She has been nominated this year as the “African Woman of the Year 2020” by the New African Woman Magazine UK, and most influential African woman 2020, by Avance Media, for her efforts to advocate for women empowerment and healthcare capacity building especially during these challenging times of Coronavirus pandemic. Senator Dr. Kelej has been previously recognized as One of 100 Most Influential Africans – 2019 by New African Magazine in UK for creating historic campaign “Merck More than a Mother” to break stigma around infertile and childless women in Africa and beyond.
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej is PROLIFIC WOMEN AND HEALTH RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER:
Dr Rasha Kelej, the CEO of the Merck Foundation, is the brain behind the inspiring ‘More Than A Mother’ campaign &#8211; rallying call against female infertility stigma – for which she was recognized as one of the Most Inﬂuential Africans of 2019. The campaign, one of the most successful causes that have been taken forward by Merck Foundation, empowers childless and infertile women through access to information, health, change of mindset, and economic empowerment. More than 18 First Ladies rallied behind the campaign as ambassadors of Merck more than a Mother campaign, which is very impressive.
Some of Its and innovative initiatives include: Health Media Training, Media Recognition Awards, Fashion Awards, and Film Awards. Dr Kelej has also worked closely with local artists to develop local songs to break the stigma of infertility in their communities. More than 18 songs have been developed so far.
But that’s not all! Dr Kelej has in her capacity as CEO of Merck Foundation, also developed many other impactful programs such as the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative (MFFLI), Merck Capacity Advancement Program, Merck Cancer Access Program, Merck Foundation Diabetes Blue Points Program, and Merck STEM for women and youth. These programs are focused on building healthcare capacity and improving access to health and empowering women and girls through education in Africa and other developing countries.
In a challenging year that was 2020, Dr Kelej remained steadfast in her work, and led the Merck Foundation COVID -19 response in Africa in partnership with 18 African First Ladies and Miniseries of health, education and media and communication of more than 45 countries, with focus on four major areas: community support; online education for health-care providers in six diﬀerent ﬁelds (diabetes, cardiovascular, sexual and reproductive health, endocrinology, respiratory and acute medicines); community awareness through “Stay at Home“ Media Recognition Awards; and community awareness through a children’s storybook The Right Choice.
Transforming Public healthcare sector and TRAINING DOCTORS:
In the midst of the pandemic, Senator Dr Rasha Kelej has also spearheaded an online training of more than 600 doctors from 25 African countries and 10 developing countries in Asia and Latin America – an important impact in a challenging time.
It has been more important than ever to build capacity and training of specialized doctors. In some of these countries, they have never had not even one oncologist, for example. They may have the general practitioner, but they don&#39;t have specialized doctors, they simply made history in these countries such as The Gambia, Burundi, Guinea &#038; Liberia.
During this diﬃcult period, we have therefore provided a one year online Diploma and two year master degree in Respiratory Medicine, Acute Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes &#038; Cardiovascular health and Sexual &#038; Reproductive health,” she explains.
“Our strategy and our program have been crystal clear &#8211; to invest in professional healthcare capacity building through providing scholarship for health care providers. And helping train skilled doctors in the midst of this pandemic, has made a big diﬀerence,” she adds.
In the meantime, Dr. Kelej also produced and directed an inspiring pan- African song called My White Army’ as her personal contribution to thank the doctors and nurses ﬁghting on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle. The song, featuring singers from 11 African countries in three languages Arabic, English, and French has been received to high acclaim across the continent.
Senate appointment:
In December 2020, Dr Rasha was among 100 Egyptian experts appointed to the Senate House by President of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. She will be one of the advisers on economic, social and health development and partnership between Egypt and the rest of Africa.
How does she do it all?
“I think one of the most important factors that keeps the Merck Foundation strong and continuing with our programs even during this pandemic is that we establish very strong partnerships, and trust levels with our partners. And this has been the case long before COVID-19,” she says adding: “On a personal level, I can say that I transform under pressure, no matter the challenge. That is just my personality. I don&#39;t break, I transform and I have this work/life fusion, in which my life and work are totally fused. With any challenge I face, I just keep the same energy levels. I transform to a diﬀerent shape and mode. And for me, new challenges give me an opportunity to be innovative and be different. COVID-19 was unexpected and unpredicted, but it helped us to transform to a stronger mode and prepare ourselves to be innovative out of our comfort zone.”
As we enter into an uncertain 2021, Dr Kelej remains characteristically optimistic and hopeful, as she looks forward to breaking new ground. “I&#39;m very optimistic. And with my new position in the Egyptian Senate and what great job our President El- Sisi is doing for  Egypt and Africa , I am hopeful that, while I continue with my work, I can utilize and capitalize on this opportunity of doing my job successfully as CEO of Merck Foundation and as a Senator  and continued making  an impact. There are lots of opportunities for bringing the Egyptian and rest of African youth together for achieving the sustainable development goals of our beautiful African continent, and I want to explore these opportunities with them, this coming year.”
“I am honored to be nominated the African Woman of the year 2020 by New African Woman Magazine, UK to acknowledge my efforts and dedication to advocate for women empowerment and healthcare capacity building specially during these challenging times of Coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to those who believed in me. I am also very honored to be appointed by The President of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, as a member of Egyptian Senate ( 2020-2025) to help strengthening  collaboration and partnership  between Egypt and rest of Africa with the aim to continue our contribution to the social , economic and health development of our beautiful  continent. Moreover, I will continue my mission to empower other women and improve access to equitable and quality healthcare in Africa and developing countries. It is my personal commitment”, said Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej CEO of Merck Foundation, Member of Egyptian Senate ( 2020-2025), Most Influential African (2019&#038; 2020) and African Woman of The Year 2020.
The New African Woman (NAW) has listed 30 strong African women as Women of the Year 2020, chosen from various career backgrounds. The list includes many famous names like; Amina J. Mohamed: Deputy Secretary-General At United Nations; Fadji Maina: Earth scientist at NASA; Bozoma Saint John: Global Chief Marketing Officer of Netflix; Michaela Coel: Producer, Actor, Director; Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, amongst others.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of for Africa.
Contributed by Amr Galal from ‘For Africa’ Media
Media Contact: Shady Halim Mobile: +20 112 000 5222
Rasha Kelej Facebook: https://bit.ly/3nXzkzz Rasha Kelej Twitter: https://bit.ly/34UpSWj Rasha Kelej Instagram: https://bit.ly/381c1Qd Rasha Kelej Flickr: https://bit.ly/3nZOvZb To read the issue of New African Woman Magazine, please visit: https://bit.ly/2JqjvT4
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Senator Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation named among Most Influential African Woman in the world, as “African Woman of the year 2020”, for the third time

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Tests conducted: 6469025 Positive cases identified: 1011871 Total recoveries: 849974 Total deaths: 27071 New cases: 7458
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Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 statistics in South Africa (28 December 2020)

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The race for hydrogen is accelerating the penetration of low-cost renewable energy sources; Role of private sector financing still hinges on sector reforms and government guarantees; Renewables and nuclear technologies claimed higher share in power supply mix due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Committed investments in MENA power sector hold relatively steady while planned investments decline by USD 114 billion compared to last year’s outlook due to commissioning of several projects in 2019; Future demand and investments in the power sector will be largely determined by the power market structure, policy efficiency and sector digitalization; Ensuring energy security through regional electricity integration regains importance.

The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) (http://www.APICORP.org), a multilateral development financial institution, published today its MENA Power Investment Outlook 2020-2024 (https://bit.ly/38HlA5U) highlighting key regional developments and prevalent trends in the power sector over the short and medium terms. 
Among the report’s key findings is the emergence of the MENA region as a strong candidate for becoming a major blue and green hydrogen-exporting region due to the combination of low-cost gas resources and low-cost renewable energy. Saudi Arabia and Morocco have already taken measurable steps to bolster their position as low-cost exporters of blue and green hydrogen, as well as net-zero ammonia and other low-carbon products.
Another key trend noted by the report is the expected uptick in planned investments directed to power transmission and distribution projects in several countries over the next five years, driven by the rise of renewables and focus on boosting regional interconnectivity.
The role of the private sector and financing in the power sector however is still largely dependent on sector reforms and government guarantees. Typically, highly leveraged power projects in the region continue to be largely financed based on non-recourse or limited recourse structure with typical debt-equity (D/E) ratios in the 60:40 to 80:20 range, or even a 85:15 D/E ratio for lower risk projects backed by strong government payment guarantees. However, regulatory reforms to support renewables and the impact of the 2020 crisis may change this balance.
Shift in power demand
The health, economic and financial fallout stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic has cost the global economy an estimated USD 1 trillion, and its impact was felt disproportionately and differently across various sectors. In the power sector, the pandemic underscored the criticality of stable electricity supplies and digital services to the economy and had a tangible effect on power demand across its three major sectors &#8212; residential, commercial and industrial sectors. As industries and businesses reduced their operations and people spent more time at home due to lockdowns, the share of the residential sector’s electricity consumption increased at the expense of the industrial and commercial sectors.  
In MENA markets, the residential sector accounts for 41% of the total power demand, followed by industrial and commercial sectors at 21% and 20%, respectively, with the remaining 18% comprised of other sectors such as agriculture and transport, as well as network losses.
Dr. Ahmed Ali Attiga, Chief Executive Officer, APICORP, commented: “Compared to other energy sectors, the investment landscape in the power sector held relatively steady despite the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the power sector to play a vital role in accelerating the post-pandemic recovery process as enhancing energy security and digital services take on increased strategic importance. As part of our vision to support the sustainable development of the Arab energy sector, APICORP will continue to support key projects and promising technologies that contribute to meeting these strategic regional objectives and ensure a more sustainable energy future for the region.”
Dr. Leila R. Benali, Chief Economist at APICORP, said: “Looking ahead, policy efficiency and the digitalization of the power sector weigh in as the most influential factors in the future for power demand and investments. In addition to becoming a more interconnected power market, the MENA region holds vast potential as an exporter for net-zero products, especially given the shift towards electrification from sources such as hydrogen and ammonia. This ultimately should be the vision that policymakers strive to achieve.”
Shift in power supply mix
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and oil price volatility led to a steady increase in the share of renewables and nuclear technologies in the power supply mix worldwide. The main accelerators for this increased penetration in the MENA region are twofold: the unprecedented cost declines in renewable energy, and governments’ renewable energy targets – which range from 13% to 52% of installed capacity by 2030.
However, the intermittency of renewable power sources and lack of grid-scale storage solutions means that fossil fuels – namely natural gas – and nuclear, will remain indispensable in the power supply mix in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, the penetration of renewable power in many parts of the world still largely depends on the efficacy of the relevant policies, subsidies and regulations.
Natural gas continues to be the primary energy source in the power generation mix in many MENA countries, making up more than 90% of the power generation mix in Egypt, UAE and Algeria, and almost two-thirds of the power generation mix in Saudi Arabia. The rise of renewables, however, has eroded its share, falling by 2% in favor of solar PV in Egypt, and by 9% in favor of solar PV and the partially operational coal and nuclear powerplants in the UAE. Similarly, Morocco saw the share of oil and coal in the power generation mix fall by 2% and 3%, respectively, in favor of solar PV, wind and hydropower. In Jordan, natural gas saw a 5% drop in favor of solar PV and wind power.
Impact of COVID-19 on investments in power projects
As noted in APICORP’s MENA Energy Investment Outlook 2020-2024 published in April, committed power sector investments held steady compared to the 2019-2023 outlook. Planned investments on the other hand decreased by around USD 114 billion – a 33% drop – partly due to several planned projects moving to committed status in 2020. Other factors that contributed to the decrease in planned investments were the increased surplus capacities in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as stalled projects in Iran, Iraq, Tunisia and Lebanon as a direct impact of the pandemic.
Planned projects represent almost two-thirds of the total value of the current 2020-2024 MENA power sector’s project pipeline. Mirroring global trends, renewables currently own the largest share of planned and committed power projects for the period in terms of value at around one-third (32%) of total investments, followed by oil- and gas-fired power plants at nearly one-quarter (27%) of total investments, nuclear power (15%) and coal (3%).          
In addition to the increased penetration of renewables, the recent push by several countries to boost regional electricity interconnectivity might lead to an increase in investments in power transmission and distribution to strengthen the grid. This includes the 3GW interconnection between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the 2GW Euro-Africa interconnector between Egypt and Europe via Cyprus, and a 164-kilometre link between Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Regional integration in the electricity sector in the MENA region continues to be of high strategic importance to ensure energy security. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has hindered the pace of bolstering the region’s three cross-country grids, namely North Africa, Egypt and the Levant, and the GCC.
For more information, please access the full report here (https://bit.ly/38HlA5U).
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP).
Media Contacts: Hassan Al-Jundi APICORP Mobile: +966 55 8012942 Email: haljundi@apicorp.org
Zeeshan Masud                                                                             Weber Shandwick Mobile: +971 55 918 6751 Email: zmasud@webershandwick.com                                     
Daniel Chinoy Weber Shandwick Mobile: +971 50 255 3402 Email: dchinoy@webershandwick.com
Follow APICORP at: Twitter: bit.ly/32ME96z Instagram: bit.ly/3lDZR3O LinkedIn: bit.ly/2IEOcnf
About Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP): The Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) (http://www.APICORP.org) is a multilateral development financial institution established in 1975 by an international treaty between the ten Arab oil exporting countries. It aims to support and foster the development of the Arab world’s energy sector and petroleum industries. APICORP makes equity investments and provides project finance, trade finance, advisory and research. APICORP is rated “Aa2” with stable outlook by Moody’s and its headquarters is in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
More information can be found at: http://www.APICORP.org
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Distribution of the new cases by Counties: Nairobi (44), Busia (5), Mombasa (5), Kilifi (5), Kajiado (3), Machakos (1), Meru (1), Nyamira (1), Kiambu (1), Nyandarua (1), Kitui (1), and Nakuru (1).
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