Peripheral Vision: The Effects of Global inflation on Conflict-Affected Border Areas – Fall 2022

In Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, conflict and instability endure in contested border regions where local tensions connect with regional and global dynamics. The Asia Foundation, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, the Rift Valley Institute, and their local research partners established the X-Border Local Research Network in 2018 to develop a better global understanding of political, economic, and social dynamics in conflict-affected borderlands. The FCDO-funded program produces research to inform more effective policymaking and programming interventions in these areas.

Peripheral Vision: Views from the Borderlands is the program’s biannual news bulletin, exploring new and emerging issues across our focus regions.

Global economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic to Russia’s war in Ukraine have led to steep inflation and shortages of key commodities, including food and fuel. This instability has complicated effects on dynamics in conflict-affected border areas, many of which operate outside of centralized systems and may face particular vulnerabilities, forcing governments and communities to consider new coping strategies. In this first audio version of the bulletin, we look at examples from Myanmar, Tunisia, and Ethiopia through a series of short interviews with three local experts.

Disclaimer: The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of The Asia Foundation.