By: Azhar Azam
Coronavirus has ruthlessly exposed delicacies in the contemporary healthcare systems and deep fissures in labor markets of global economic and technological colossuses. In view of that, battered governments are forced to simultaneously see to precipitate glut of Covid-19 patients and provide financial support to millions of jobless workers.
If most-advanced and well-heeled economies are being melted by caustic heat of deleterious contagion, the preparedness of the vulnerable nations – particularly the ones located in Africa continent – to defy this blood-curdling challenge and outlast its social and economic shocks, would be implausible and fathomless.
As thorny lung disease continues to cause tragic human losses and blow up social and economic order across the world – African Economic Outlook estimates the region could witness its GDP to contract by up to 3.4%, leading into 30 million jobs to the brink of extinction with brunt to be felt by working poor.
Even if potentially-star region managed to somehow escape from lethal ramifications of the pathogen, its impact on continent’s livelihoods would be stupefying – drastically increasing number of people facing food insecurity from 73 million and making region one of the worst-hit landmass by end of 2020.
While up to 45 million people in southern Africa face hunger after a devastating drought and two cyclones last year – the tremor of plunging international oil prices was likely to double budget deficits with Nigeria and Angola alone to slash their revenue by $65 billion, expecting loss of $50 billion to region’s fastest growing holidaying business.
Metals and minerals – such as copper, cobalt, iron ore, platinum, chrome and magnesium – is another industry hundreds of thousands of Africans are associated with. Now infection-elicited lockdown in region has padlocked the production of these vital raw materials, stroking a severe knockback to Africa’s economy and labor market.
Foreseeing a heavy and durable economic toll, which would threaten progress and prospects, widen inequalities within regional countries and deteriorate existing fragilities – the UN Economic Commission of Africa plea to the G-20, to intervene and bolster African health response, was a bleak warning about imminent crisis.
In a continent where basic necessity of regular hand washing poses a stark challenge due to unequal access to water and which accounts for only 1% of global health expenditure but carries 23% of worldwide disease burden – the potential surge in infections would indeed plunder myriad number of poor in deprived region.
Terrorism too poses a significant threat to peace and security in Africa – particularly in parts of Sahel, Lake Chad Basin region and Horn of Africa. Outlining reach of Al-Shabaab in Somalia and East Africa and collaborative attacks by affiliates of Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – the UNSC in March sought more global support to strengthen its counter-terrorism efforts in Africa.
People in Sahel and West Asia have paid a very high cost over towering terrorist activities. Amid a devastating surge of five-fold attacks that killed more than 4,000 civilians and military personnel in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger since 2016 – survivors were badly needing safety, food and water everywhere.
Though France in February deployed another 600 troops to Sahel, south of Sahara, to reinforce its already 4,500 military muscle engaged in Operation Barkhane ongoing since 2014 – but its intervention is embraced with ire and protests by people who denounce its presence as “neo-colonial, imperialist.”
Niger, fourth-largest uranium ore producer in world, is prey of French commercial objectives. For Paris, deriving of its electricity from nuclear energy, West African country is the major source of uranium from where its companies have been extracting radioactive material for about 50 years without benefiting local people.
Chinese debt relief to a number of African nations is a welcome development to prevent its embattled partners from more deepened socio-economic crisis. The continent however seeks such an initiative from its western allies too, allowing it to turn the tide and thwart grim situation from further degeneration.
If most-advanced and well-heeled economies are being melted by caustic heat of deleterious contagion, the preparedness of the vulnerable nations – particularly the ones located in Africa continent – to defy this blood-curdling challenge and outlast its social and economic shocks, would be implausible and fathomless.
As thorny lung disease continues to cause tragic human losses and blow up social and economic order across the world – African Economic Outlook estimates the region could witness its GDP to contract by up to 3.4%, leading into 30 million jobs to the brink of extinction with brunt to be felt by working poor.
Even if potentially-star region managed to somehow escape from lethal ramifications of the pathogen, its impact on continent’s livelihoods would be stupefying – drastically increasing number of people facing food insecurity from 73 million and making region one of the worst-hit landmass by end of 2020.
While up to 45 million people in southern Africa face hunger after a devastating drought and two cyclones last year – the tremor of plunging international oil prices was likely to double budget deficits with Nigeria and Angola alone to slash their revenue by $65 billion, expecting loss of $50 billion to region’s fastest growing holidaying business.
Metals and minerals – such as copper, cobalt, iron ore, platinum, chrome and magnesium – is another industry hundreds of thousands of Africans are associated with. Now infection-elicited lockdown in region has padlocked the production of these vital raw materials, stroking a severe knockback to Africa’s economy and labor market.
Foreseeing a heavy and durable economic toll, which would threaten progress and prospects, widen inequalities within regional countries and deteriorate existing fragilities – the UN Economic Commission of Africa plea to the G-20, to intervene and bolster African health response, was a bleak warning about imminent crisis.
In a continent where basic necessity of regular hand washing poses a stark challenge due to unequal access to water and which accounts for only 1% of global health expenditure but carries 23% of worldwide disease burden – the potential surge in infections would indeed plunder myriad number of poor in deprived region.
Terrorism too poses a significant threat to peace and security in Africa – particularly in parts of Sahel, Lake Chad Basin region and Horn of Africa. Outlining reach of Al-Shabaab in Somalia and East Africa and collaborative attacks by affiliates of Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – the UNSC in March sought more global support to strengthen its counter-terrorism efforts in Africa.
People in Sahel and West Asia have paid a very high cost over towering terrorist activities. Amid a devastating surge of five-fold attacks that killed more than 4,000 civilians and military personnel in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger since 2016 – survivors were badly needing safety, food and water everywhere.
Though France in February deployed another 600 troops to Sahel, south of Sahara, to reinforce its already 4,500 military muscle engaged in Operation Barkhane ongoing since 2014 – but its intervention is embraced with ire and protests by people who denounce its presence as “neo-colonial, imperialist.”
Niger, fourth-largest uranium ore producer in world, is prey of French commercial objectives. For Paris, deriving of its electricity from nuclear energy, West African country is the major source of uranium from where its companies have been extracting radioactive material for about 50 years without benefiting local people.
Chinese debt relief to a number of African nations is a welcome development to prevent its embattled partners from more deepened socio-economic crisis. The continent however seeks such an initiative from its western allies too, allowing it to turn the tide and thwart grim situation from further degeneration.
*This is one of my opinion pieces (unedited) that first appeared in "The Express Tribune":
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2255368/a-holistic-global-approach-for-africa
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2255368/a-holistic-global-approach-for-africa