Pastoralists and COVID-19: An introduction

Abstract

Six years after the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a good time to look back at the literature on COVID-19 and pastoralism and assess the main themes that have been addressed.1 From early on, it became clear that state-enforced measures to contain the spread of this novel virus had a greater impact on pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, herders and shepherds than the disease itself. In early 2020, most countries introduced harsh lockdown measures that restricted mobility and social interactions, disrupting daily life almost overnight and causing widespread anxiety and uncertainty. Measures varied over time and by location, but were strictest during the first waves in 2020 and subsequent variants of the virus (late 2020–2021). Pastoralists were particularly affected by the shutting down of borders; the introduction of quarantines, curfews and roadblocks to restrict mobility; the closure of schools, markets and places of worship and employment; and the banning of social gatherings. Negative stereotypes and sedentist policy biases followed them around (Majeed, 2022; Rodgers and Semplici, 2023).