Four major institutions — the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) — have jointly outlined recommendations for crisis response and resilience building in African countries amid rising energy, food, and fertilizer prices driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict, according to a press release published on April 2, 2026. The four institutions’ principals met on the margins of the 58th Session of the Economic Commission for Africa in Tangier to discuss the conflict’s implications for African economies. Their discussions centered on key findings and recommendations of a forthcoming joint report.
The global economic environment has become increasingly volatile with rising frequency of major shocks worldwide. The ongoing Middle East conflict has triggered spikes in energy, food, and fertilizer prices that are already affecting African economies and households. The report highlights that current shocks are transmitting faster and through more concentrated channels than past global disruptions, leaving African economies with little time to adjust. Twenty-nine currencies in Africa have weakened, raising the cost of servicing external debt and importing food, fuel, and fertilizer. Global oil prices have already surged by more than 50 percent as of late March.
Disruptions linked to Gulf energy supplies are limiting access to ammonia and urea during the critical March–May planting season, which will affect agricultural production and compound risks of food insecurity, especially for low-income households and import-dependent economies. The joint report calls for coordinated action across three horizons: immediate crisis response measures to cushion households and stabilize fuel, food, and fertilizer supply; medium-term reforms to strengthen energy security, targeted social protection, and regional trade under the AfCFTA; and long-term structural reforms toward stronger domestic resource mobilization and African financial safety nets, including accelerated implementation of the African Financing Stability Mechanism. African governments are expected to lead immediate responses, supported by development partners and the private sector.
“Continued escalation of the conflict worsens global instability, with serious implications for energy markets, food security, and economic resilience, particularly in Africa where economic pressures remain acute,” said H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group, stressed that “African institutions and development partners need to act swiftly and in concert, leveraging their comparative advantages to cushion short-term shocks while laying the foundations for long-term resilience.” Claver Gatete, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of UNECA, stated that “this moment calls for decisive action, to protect people now, but also to accelerate Africa’s long-term push towards energy security, food sovereignty, and financial self-reliance.”
The brief urges African countries to strengthen regional integration and accelerate African-led financial solutions while investing in energy, food, and trade resilience. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, emphasized that “with the right mix of policy choices, financing tools, and political resolve, Africa can weather this shock and emerge more resilient, more self-reliant, and better positioned to shape its own economic future.” The four institutions collectively call for the continent to move from managing shocks to building lasting preparedness.
