Why slums could buckle under the weight of corona

Kibera slums in Nairobi. The lack of essential services, such as water, makes it hard for slum residents to maintain the required hygiene to fight the virus. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

The challenges of informal settlements have once again been thrown into the spotlight in the midst of the current pandemic.

Research has shown that some of the most at-risk populations and therefore the potential hotspots of Covid-19 are in informal settlements where density is above the threshold needed for social distancing.