Food (In)Security in Fragile Countries: Africa and West Asia

The Covid-19 pandemic has been labelled alternatively as a potential geopolitical game-changer, or as an accelerator for trends which were already underway. For sure, the pandemic is acting as a threat-multiplier for countries that were already struggling with other threats, such as protracted conflicts, economic crises, and climate change. As the risk of a global food crisis looms, Africa and West Asia are the regions where this perfect storm is the most likely to happen. The highest numbers of people in crisis are concentrated in Africa and West Asia, with Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Afghanistan on the brink of collapse according to the 2020 Global report on food crises of the WFP, which this year was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its international humanitarian efforts. But the pandemic has also exposed the vulnerabilities of wealthy countries: in the Gulf, for instance, where even rich economies are likely to face fatal supply disruptions. Which countries are most vulnerable to food insecurity? How do pre-existing fragilities increase the risks of food insecurity? And what impact does food distress have on fragile populations such as refugees and displaced people?