How coronavirus increases conflicts in fragile states

The pandemic is set to spark famine, riots, instability, and civil war. The virus spreads, when tens of millions flee violence in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In March, the UN Secretary-General called for a global ceasefire. But the world responded by buying more weapons and starting new conflicts. The coronavirus has weakened governments and security forces. That’s allowed some rebel groups to flourish. They mostly face the same restrictions, their costs are also rising. But they pass them on to those caught in the territories they hold. Millions of people are caught in warzones. The UN says that’s preventing an effective response to the outbreak. In the Central African Republic, people complain that the government is not implementing coronavirus restrictions and tests are prohibitively expensive. Cattle herders say armed groups are taking advantage of the situation to exploit them.