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Number of cases of COVID-19 in the Sahel countries. a Monthly and b total till October 2021. Data source: WHO (2020a). See Fig. 1 or Table 1 for abbreviations
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The African Sahel countries are inherently fragile, environmentally insecure and economically weak. This paper underscores the compounded impacts brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic on resource supply security and, hence, the long-term development of the region. It outlines the Sahel-specific COVID-19 scenario by firstly highlighting the underly...
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... The region is grappling with distinct difficulties stemming from pervasive severe poverty, demographic expansion, conflict and climate hazards, causing extreme droughts and floods, environmental degradation and food shortages (Akkari & Vinuesa, 2024). The COVID-19 pandemic has further intensified the issue of subpar educational results by leading to school closures and deteriorating the financial conditions of families (Al-Saïdi, et al., 2022). These adversities contribute to poor access to education and low learning outcomes in the Sahel, thus perpetuating a cycle of poverty and violence (Zickafoose, et al., 2024). ...
Recently, the World Bank (2023–2024) conducted a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the potential of implementing openschool models for adolescents aged 12 to 16 from nomadic, refugee and internally displaced populations from countries on the Fragility, Conflict and Violence (FCV) list, with particular focus on the following five countries from the Sahel region: Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, Mali and Niger. The study employed a mixedmethodsapproach combining desktop research and quantitative assessments to gather data from diverse contexts, includingremote and conflict-affected areas while exploring appropriate technological solutions and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. The findings present a compelling case for adopting and scaling open-school models to provide inclusive educational opportunities for crisis-affected adolescents, highlighting that participatory, learner-centred approaches foster ownership and motivation among learners. At the same time, culturally relevant curricula contribute to increased retention and improved learning outcomes. The study identified key implementation factors, including community engagement, comprehensive teacher training, contextually relevant learning materials and strategies for overcoming logistical and infrastructural barriers in remote areas, demonstrating how these models could help FCV countries progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by addressing the significant barriers marginal groups face in accessing traditional education systems.
... B. die EU, Katar, Saudi-Arabien und China -teilweise als Reaktion auf (geopolitische) Krisenereignisse wie den russischen Angriffskrieg auf die Ukraine und COVID-19 -eine verstärkte Selbstversorgung an bzw. nutzen das Narrativ der Selbstversorgung, um Politikmaßnahmen zu begründen (Al-Saidi et al., 2023;Rudloff et al., 2024). Insbesondere der chinesische Ansatz zur Ernährungssicherung basiert weitgehend auf dem Prinzip der Selbstversorgung. ...
Die vorliegende Studie beleuchtet die kommunikative Dynamik der Bauernproteste Ende 2023 und Anfang 2024 in Deutschland; dies vor dem Hintergrund
von Erwartungen an landwirtschaftliche Transformation sowie Sicherung der
Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Ausgangspunkt war die politisch initiierte Kürzung
agrarischer Subventionen, insbesondere der Agrardieselbeihilfen, die eine
breite Protestbewegung innerhalb der Landwirtschaft auslöste. Ziel der
Arbeit war es, die strategischen Kommunikationsmuster zentraler Akteurinnen
und Akteure sowie deren mediale Repräsentation zu analysieren, um
Rückschlüsse auf aktuelle Herausforderungen und Chancen landwirtschaftlicher Branchenkommunikation zu ziehen. Die methodische Umsetzung erfolgte
durch eine dreischrittige Herangehensweise: Neben einer qualitativ-inhaltlichen Analyse strategischer Akteurskommunikation wurde eine standardisierte Inhaltsanalyse der Medienberichterstattung durchgeführt. Grundlage
bildeten ein deduktiv-induktiv entwickeltes Frageraster zur Erhebung von
Frames und Subframes. Ergänzt wurden die Analysen durch Experteninterviews mit Vertretern und Vertreterinnen aus Landwirtschaft, Politik und
Medien.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen: Die Proteste der Landwirtschaft gegen die Kürzung
des Agrardiesels wurden auf der einen Seite in der öffentlichen Kommunikation überwiegend als legitim und verständlich dargestellt – vor allem
unter wirtschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten. Die Bauernverbände konnten ihre
Position erfolgreich vermitteln, ihre Deutung fand medial Anklang. Eine klare
Gegenposition – etwa durch Umweltorganisationen oder Regierung – wurde
kaum sichtbar, was eine Polarisierung verhinderte. Auch Journalistinnen und
Journalisten zeigten keine erkennbare eigene Agenda, sondern gaben den
Akteurinnen und Akteuren Raum. Auf der anderen Seite rückte die politische
Dimension durch teils konfrontative bis hin zu gewalttätigen Protestformen
jenseits der Verbandsaktivitäten im Laufe der Kampagne in den Vordergrund. Die Verbände stellte dies vor kommunikative Herausforderungen. Viele
Menschen solidarisierten sich eher mit den Protestformen als mit den inhaltlichen Zielen der Bauern.
Der Beitrag schließt mit Thesen zu Folgerungen für die praktische Agrar -
kommunikation.
... A decade later, the COVID-19 pandemic posed a serious threat to regional 5,6 and global food security 7,8 . In doing so, it disproportionately impacted low-and middle-income populations 9 and societies already grappling with environmental fragility and economic insecurity, such as those in the Sahel region 10 . Further, regional food security was jeopardized in recent years by pests and plagues, including the locust infestation in the Horn of Africa in 2019 and 2020 11 , and extreme weather events like the devastating floods and droughts experienced in Nigeria 12 . ...
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered a global wheat price spike and food insecurities in import-dependent countries. We combine an analysis of the global wheat supply network with an agricultural commodity price model to investigate national impaired supplies and the global annual wheat price hike, respectively, for the trade year 2022. Using a scenario analysis, we show that international cooperation manifested in the Black Sea Grain and Solidarity Lanes initiatives and the removal of export restrictions may have mitigated the 2022 price hike by 13 percentage points. In a worst case scenario – characterized by multi-breadbasket harvest failures, escalating export restrictions, and blocked Ukrainian exports – wheat price increases by 90% compared to the 2000–2020 average. Coping strategies – such as food-secure countries dispersing stocks, reducing wheat as feed, or boosting wheat production – are effective at mitigating the price spike in simplified scenarios. Our findings underscore the imperative of coordinated policy responses to avoid global food supply disruptions.
... Among these challenges, the spotlight on sustainability and resilience prompts strategic reflection, emphasizes the importance of risk management, and gathers valuable lessons for future preparedness. Henceforth, this philosophy is based on the supply chain issue that has been recently documented in the literature [24][25][26][27] and tabulated as follows (Table 1): Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a profound impact on supply chains, exacerbating poverty in underdeveloped countries and fostering challenges like malnutrition [28]. Limited resources and opportunities in these regions contribute to widespread malnutrition, hindering individual and social progress [29]. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in supply chain and logistics operations to respond to myriad disruptions. However, this paradigm shift has changed the supply chain to be more resilient, agile, flexible, and adaptable to upcoming disruptions. Hence, a comprehensive guide to understanding, implementing, and harnessing the power of digitization in the face of disruption, leading to a more resilient and adaptive global community, is greatly appreciated. Thus, this study aims to identify the strategies used in the complex and dynamic nature of the contemporary supply chain landscape for these disruptions. Among several strategies adopted and proposed, this systematic review examines overall efficiency and operational resilience, particularly supplier diversification, investment in digital supply chain technology, and adopting flexible manufacturing models. Following a rigorous four-step identification, screening, qualification, and inclusion process, this review focuses on real-time visibility, robust risk management, and data-driven decision making to determine whether future disruptions under digitization are conducive. Therefore, this systematic review, along with these enhanced resilience strategies, will provide a comprehensive resource for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers seeking to navigate and improve logistics and supply chain operations in the face of future disruptions.
... Epidemias como la del Ébola, el Síndrome Respiratorio Agudo Severo (SARS) y el Síndrome Respiratorio del Medio Oriente (MERS) han tenido impactos negativos en la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, especialmente para los niños, las mujeres, los ancianos y los grupos desfavorecidos, incluidos los pobres (James et al., 2021(James et al., , p.1854. Para las regiones vulnerables que ya enfrentan hambre u otras crisis (como las langostas del desierto en el Cuerno de África o la inseguridad en el Sahel), los Estados que dependen en gran medida de las importaciones de alimentos se han visto especialmente afectados por la pandemia a este respecto (Al-Saidi et al., 2022). ...
La pandemia de la Covid-19 ha tenido un profundo impacto sobre la seguridad alimentaria mundial, al haber exacerbado los factores que impulsan el hambre, tales como la recesión económica, la inestabilidad política o la alteración y fluidez de la cadena mundial de suministro de alimentos. Ahora bien, el impacto negativo de la Covid-19 en la seguridad alimentaria refleja la difícil situación del actual sistema de gobernanza de la seguridad alimentaria mundial. En este trabajo nuestro objetivo general es analizar las vías a través de las cuales la pandemia de la Covid-19 ha afectado a la seguridad alimentaria mundial. Nuestro objetivo específico es estudiar y profundizar cómo el impacto de la Covid-19 sobre la seguridad alimentaria refleja problemas estructurales en la gobernanza de la seguridad alimentaria mundial, en aras de ofrecer recomendaciones sobre cómo debe responder la comunidad internacional para evitar que una crisis de salud pública desencadene una crisis alimentaria mundial.
... COVID-19 has resulted in serious disruptions to the food value chain, with grain export restrictions during the pandemic, together with locusts destroying crops and causing price hikes, and food insecurity across many regions including parts of the Middle East (26). Countries located in the Sahel region have been particularly vulnerable during the pandemic, with COVID-19 resulting in weakened food sectors (27). COVID-19 has forced a re-evaluation of the water-food-trade link within the water-energy-food nexus, and reignited debates regarding selfsufficiency and the expansion of the local food production, even in arid regions (28). ...
... (4) Baseline vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic: In some Middle Eastern countries such as Tunisia and Lebanon, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the states' capacity to weather the current crisis, either due to reduced state revenues or aggravated food insecurities (47,62). In other countries, evidence exists of indirect impacts through reduced yield (e.g., Egypt) (55), or the ramifications of regional political instability due to COVID-19; e.g., Sudan (27). ...
... At the same time, multilateral efforts such as the BSGI have eased some of the pressure from this crisis in some highly vulnerable countries. In the long run, the Ukraine war invokes some of the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis regarding the need for special aid programs, fewer trade restrictions, and more sustainable and resilient local agriculture (27,28,91). At the same time, with the Middle East unlikely and undesiring (due to impacts on water) to achieve self-sufficiency, it is important to invest in strategic storage and the strengthening of the supply chain through (regional) cooperation (e.g., on trade or aid) (29,30). ...
The Ukraine war has led to a severe global food crisis due to complex supply disruptions and price increases of agricultural inputs. Countries of the Middle East have been directly affected because of their high dependence on food imports from Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, this food crisis comes at times of high baseline vulnerability due to the compound impacts of COVID-19, repeated food shocks, and weakened states due to political-economic difficulties. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the food-related vulnerability of Middle Eastern countries in the wake of the Ukraine war. It contextualizes the varying impacts of this crisis in the region, and highlights country-level response strategies. The analysis shows a concerning and deepened crisis in the case of highly exposed and politically fragile countries with weakened food sectors; e.g., Lebanon, Sudan, and Yemen. Political-economic instabilities, limited domestic agriculture, and the lack of reliable grain reserves have aggravated the current food crisis in some countries. At the same time, indigenous short-term responses related to regional aid and cooperation have emerged, particularly in the Gulf countries, which have witnessed soaring revenues from higher energy prices. Alongside more regional frameworks for collaboration on food security, future action to mitigate such food crises should include the strengthening of local sustainable agriculture, storage capacities, and grain procurement strategies from international suppliers.
The United Nations (UN) framework defines indicator 13.1.1 as the number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected individuals due to disasters per 100,000 population. This indicator is associated with target 13.1, which calls for urgent actions against climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. However, there is a lack of official data providers and well-established methodologies for assessing the resilience of populated areas to natural disasters. Earth observation (EO), geospatial technologies, and local data may support the estimation of this indicator and, as such, enhance the resilience of specific communities against hazards. Thus, the present study aims to enhance the capacity to monitor Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using the abovementioned technologies. In this context, a methodology that integrates ecoregion-specific model training and flood potential related geospatial datasets has been developed to estimate the number of houses affected by floods. This methodology relies on disaster-related databases, such as the UN’s DesInventar, and flood- and exposure-related data, including precipitation and soil moisture products combined with hydro-modelling based on digital elevation models, infrastructure datasets, and population products. By integrating these data sources, different machine learning regression models were trained and stratified by ecoregions to predict the number of affected houses and, as such, provide a more comprehensive understanding of community resilience to floods in the Sahel region. This effort is particularly crucial as the frequency and intensity of floods significantly increase in many areas due to climate change.
This research, based on reviewing relevant literature, explored and discussed mercenarism and mercenaries in the Sahel region. The findings were that, mercenary and mercenarism are deeply rooted in African societies, have steady presence in recent high-profile conflicts with a rise of private military companies providing military services for hire, and where Chad, Niger, Libya, Mali and Nigeria, States of Diffa in southeastern Niger and Agadez in the northern Niger, and the gold mining areas in northern Niger, were the main sources and routes of mercenaries in the Sahel region, in addition to those brought from outside the Sahel region by private security companies such the Turkish International Defense Consultancy Company "SADAT", and the Russian Wagner. Mercenarism and mercenaries have relinquished the sovereignty of the Sahelian countries in favor of costly security and defense, weakened the existing security institutions by draining resources and worsening the security coverage, increased the availability and perceived need for military services; encouraged militant and criminal groups to generate revenues to fund clandestine activities, increased socio-political instability and severity, undermined the state-building projects and governance processes. The research suggested redressing driving factors of mercenary and mercenarism in the Sahel by adoption of the "Great Green Wall Initiative" of the UNCCD.
African slavery and Diaspora are strongly interlinked and effectively impacted on whole of Africa. This research explores that with emphasis on the African Sahel based on data provided by relevant research. This revealed some forms of locally inherited slavery, millions of Africans were brought outside the continent by international slave trade which created African Diaspora world widely. African slavery implicated on incidence of underdevelopment in Africa, affected its social and political structures, impacted on its definition as areas inhabited by pagans, made major transformations in its political economy, impacted on the spread of Islam in it, and influenced the vast majority of its urban complexes. Similarly, African Diaspora impacted and created and recreated identities shaped by linkages to homelands, initiated an emerging reconstruction of its image and role, produced an increasingly powerful constellation of Disparate and related groups that operate in the Sahelian region under a political economy of violence, promoted domestic insurgencies and armed conflicts, made ghettos of migrants as naturalized "black spaces" in the Mediterranean, and made African Diasporas in Indian Ocean societies very different from those in Atlantic Ocean societies. The combined implications of African slavery and Diaspora, on view of the author, was argued as "both have inspired imperialism to build strong and rooted and infinite interests in Africa"s human and natural resources, since it was a source of slaves prior to colonialism and natural resources during and post colonialism, and boundlessly, views itself having the authority on exploiting and controlling of Africa"s resources by militarily interventions and via humanitarian aid". These interventions have adversely retarded development of Africa. The research recommends the need to hasten African integration and unity against imperialist tendencies, developing a framework that challenges the dominant assumptions of processes of globalization promoted by the WTO, and the correction of the image of Africa as merely a home of natural resources.
Discusses the Sahel Population development and conflict problems
