When fighting broke out late last year in the Central African Republic late last year, one of the poorest countries on the planet became even worse off. A faltering peace process is currently underway, but instability persists. From a development perspective, the damage has been done.
The economist Paul Collier likes to say that war and conflict is development-in-reverse. Infrastructure is destroyed, human capital is lost, and health systems that were in place prior to the conflict are disrupted.
Via UNICEF, one glaring example of the deleterious health-conflict nexus has been an outbreak of measles in Bangui. The national vaccination program broke down. So measles broke out.
Thankfully, UNICEF was there to pick up the pieces.