A holistic global approach for Africa?

Even if Africa managed to escape from Covid-19’s lethal ramifications, its impact on livelihoods would be stupefying

The coronavirus has ruthlessly exposed delicacies in contemporary healthcare systems and deep fissures in labour markets of global economic and technological colossuses. Given this, battered governments are forced to simultaneously see a glut of Covid-19 patients and provide financial support to millions of jobless workers.

If the most advanced and well-heeled economies are melting by the caustic heat of deleterious contagion, the preparedness of the vulnerable nations — particularly African nations — to defy this blood-curdling challenge and outlast its social and economic shocks, would be implausible and fathomless.

As the disease continues to cause tragic human losses and blow up social and economic order across the world, the African Economic Outlook estimates the region’s GDP could contract by up to 3.4%, leading 30 million jobs to the brink of extinction with the brunt to be felt by the working poor.

Even if the region managed to escape from the pathogen’s lethal ramifications, its impact on the continent’s livelihoods would be stupefying — drastically increasing number of people facing food insecurity from 73 million and the making region the worst-hit landmass by end of 2020.

While 45 million people in southern Africa face hunger after last year’s devastating drought and two cyclones, 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 a loss of $50 billion to region’s fastest growing holidaying business.

Metals and minerals is another industry hundreds of thousands of Africans are associated with. Now infection-elicited lockdown in the region has padlocked the production of these vital raw materials, stroking a severe knockback to Africa’s economy and labour 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 the imminent crisis.

In a continent where basic necessity of hand washing poses a stark challenge due to unequal access to water and accounts for only 1% of global health expenditure but carries 23% of worldwide disease burden, the potential surge in infections would indeed plunder myriads of poor in Africa.

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 the 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 global support to strengthen its counterterrorism 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 badly needed safety, food and water.

Though France in February deployed another 600 troops to Sahel to reinforce its already 4,500 military muscle engaged in Operation Barkhane ongoing since 2014, its intervention is embraced with ire and protests by people who denounce its presence as “neo-colonial, imperialist”.

Chinese debt relief to some African nations is a welcome development to prevent its embattled partners from a deepening socio-economic crisis. The continent, however, seeks such an initiative from its Western allies too, allowing it to turn the tide and thwart a further degeneration of the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2020.

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