World’s conflict zones at greater risk from Covid-19, says think tank

NEW DELHI: The global outbreak of Covid-19 has the potential to wreak havoc in fragile states, trigger widespread unrest and severely test international crisis management systems, says the International Crisis Group (ICG) in a report that points to seven trends that could define a post-Covid-19 world.

The report says the economic impact of restricting movement for months on end is likely to be devastating. “Lifting restrictions prematurely could risk new spikes in infections and require a return to isolation measures, further compounding the disease’s economic and political impact and requiring further injections of liquidity and fiscal stimulus by governments around the world,” it says.

The think-tank, specialising on international conflict, flagged seven areas of concern, primary among them being that people of conflict-affected countries – whether those in war or suffering its after-effects – are likely to be especially vulnerable to the outbreak of the disease. Libya, Venezuela, Iran and Gaza, could all see spike. Besides diffi