"'Job-killer of the century': economies of Pacific islands face collapse over Covid-19", 10 July 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic is the "job-killer of the century", Fiji's prime minister has said, as economies across the Pacific face collapse from economic and travel shutdowns, exacerbating existing illnesses, and potentially driving people into hunger.

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"Covid-19 is clearly the job-killer of the century," Fiji PM Frank Bainimarama said.

"You can't suddenly work from home when you earn your paycheque as a scuba instructor, or in a garment factory dependent on regional supply chains, or as a handicraft maker who usually sells to tourists.

"These are the faces behind the dismal figures for employment, the high human cost of this pandemic, which mounts by the day."

Fiji's attorney-general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, warned of a "coronavirus cyclone ... a perfect storm of climate and Covid-19" that could take Pacific states decades to recover from.

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In Polynesia, Cook Islands deputy prime minister Mark Brown said the pandemic lockdowns were an "economic tsunami" for the archipelagic nation: the country's finance ministry estimates tourism makes up 65% of the Cooks' economic activity.

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In parts of Kiribati, the price of rice has risen by 50%. In Fiji, reports to police of thefts from food gardens have skyrocketed.

"In addition, there is potential for individuals becoming less physically active as a result of curfews and restricted movement; abuse of tobacco and alcohol while being isolated at home; and increase in domestic violence compounded by further isolation due to quarantine, social disengagement and unemployment. All these impact individuals' mental wellbeing and overall risks of non-communicable diseases."

The UN's food and agriculture organisation has warned the Covid-19 poses a serious threat to food security and nutrition across Asia and the Pacific.

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