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22. COVID-19 in Palestine: A Pandemic in the Face of “Settler Colonial Erasure”
- Author:
- Yara Hawari
- Publication Date:
- 09-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Abstract:
- As of early September 2020 more than 27 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded worldwide, along with approximately 890,000 deaths. After many months of lockdown, countries are having to re-open despite growing infection rates and fears of a second wave while people adapt to a “new normal” which includes restrictions, social distancing and limited travel. At the start of the lockdowns, many Palestinians commented that the world now finally understood what life was like for them. Particularly in the West Bank and Gaza, the curfews, the closure of public spaces, the inability or difficulty to travel, lingering anxiety and perpetual uncertainty are features common to Palestinian life. However, this new global reality reflects only a fraction of the Palestinian experience of suffering from nearly a century of ongoing settler colonialism.
- Topic:
- Health, Settler Colonialism, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Israel, and Palestine
23. Special Commentary: Scenarios for a Post-COVID Middle East
- Author:
- Christopher J. Bolan
- Publication Date:
- 05-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College
- Abstract:
- It is worth approaching an assessment of the likely impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Middle East with a strong dose of humility. Nonetheless, it is clear that the spread of this disease has already had major impacts on the global economy, drastically reducing demand for Middle East oil exports, and leading to a historic collapse in oil prices. The immediate challenges of dealing with the monumental health and economic challenges posed by COVID-19 will add to the troubles of a region already burdened by multiple civil wars, poorly performing economies, growing civil discontent, and intensified sectarian divisions. This article offers a preliminary assessment of the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the security landscape of the Middle East and advances recommendations for how US military strategy and operations might adapt.
- Topic:
- Security, Oil, Military Strategy, Economy, Exports, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Middle East
24. On the Front Lines: How Public Health Systems are Confronting the Covid19 Crisis in the Middle East
- Author:
- Ross Harrison, Amir Afkhami, Amira Roess, and Omid Nikfarjam
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- COVID-19 has the potential to push public healthcare systems in the Middle East past their current capabilities.The number of coronavirus cases in the Middle East has risen to nearly 60,000, double the amount only a week ago. How will this current pandemic impact the region’s health care systems and preparedness for future crises? The Middle East Institute (MEI) will bring together a panel of experts to look beyond the immediate impact of COVID-19 on public healthcare systems in the Middle East. This group of experts will discuss the long term effects on the region's public health systems and if this will cause them to become more resilient in the face of future threats. What will this current crisis mean for the future of the region’s health care systems? What steps should public health services be taking now to ensure they will be better prepared for the next pandemic? What is the role of international organizations like the World Health Organization to help regional public health services build resilience into their systems?
- Topic:
- Health, World Health Organization, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Middle East
25. Human Rights in Times of Global Crises
- Author:
- Ibrahim Al Assil, Nour El Achi, Mai El Sadany, and Sana Mustafa
- Publication Date:
- 05-2020
- Content Type:
- Video
- Institution:
- Middle East Institute (MEI)
- Abstract:
- As COVID-19 spreads throughout the Middle East and civil wars continue, already fragile human rights protections are increasingly under threat. COVID-19 puts migrants and minority communities at increasing risk due to structural inequalities, and activist movements are losing crucial visibility and the ability to mobilize and gather in public. Meanwhile, the impacts of the virus expose existing injustices faced by detainees, women, and occupied communities. How are social movements in Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq adapting to changing dynamics as they confront pandemic-related shutdowns and existing internet restrictions? How do inequalities in the region’s legal systems prevent women from exercising personal rights, as domestic violence rates surge worldwide? What are the unique challenges faced by migrant workers, refugees, and IDPs? In countries with ongoing conflicts, what are the prospects for advocating for greater rights for detainees and prisoners of conscience?
- Topic:
- Civil War, Human Rights, Displacement, Pandemic, COVID-19, and Health Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Iran, Middle East, and Lebanon
26. Syria’s Growing Economic Woes: Lebanon’s Crisis, the Caesar Act and Now the Coronavirus
- Author:
- Jihad Yazigi
- Publication Date:
- 03-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
- Abstract:
- The already bleak prospects of the Syrian economy have worsened in recent months with the Lebanon crisis, the enactment of the Caesar Act and now the coronavirus pandemic. This paper examines their impact on the Syrian economy and the population at large. While the cumulative impact is hard to assess at this stage, Syria’s population will remain heavily dependent on the international humanitarian effort. The future of this effort will itself depend on major donor countries whose own economies are likely to emerge weakened from the coronavirus pandemic.
- Topic:
- Economics, Public Health, Humanitarian Crisis, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Middle East, Lebanon, and Syria
27. After the Pandemic: Reimagining the Role of State and Non-State Actors in (Re)building National Health Systems in the Arab World
- Author:
- Fadi El-Jardali
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
- Abstract:
- In the Arab region, countries have become increasingly dependent on non-state actors, notably the private sector, for healthcare provision and any response that includes the State alone may not be sufficient to address the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper explores how state and non-state actors in Arab countries have collaborated so far and suggests ways forward to ensure quality healthcare services for all.
- Topic:
- Non State Actors, Governance, Health Care Policy, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Middle East
28. Testing for COVID-19: What Should Lebanon Do?
- Author:
- Fatima Al Sayah
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
- Abstract:
- Testing for COVID-19 is globally supported but is approached differently from country to country. This paper outlines Lebanon’s approach to testing so far and asks crucial questions about what the country can do at this stage given its limited testing resources, fragmented and under-financed healthcare system and dire economic circumstances.
- Topic:
- Health Care Policy, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Lebanon
29. Is the Worst Part Behind Us? Epidemiology, Data and Lebanon’s COVID-19 Response
- Author:
- Sirine Anouti
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
- Abstract:
- Data from Lebanon suggests that the country is experiencing a significant decrease in COVID-19 spread. Epidemiologists are monitoring to see if infection rates remain low for at least two incubation periods before declaring a successful containment. The lockdown strategy has come at a great cost to middle-to-low income groups given the absence of any social safety measure and the sustainability of lockdown measures will require urgent relief support.
- Topic:
- Public Health, Humanitarian Crisis, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Middle East and Lebanon
30. Will COVID-19 Mark the Endgame for Iraq’s Muhasasa Ta'ifia?
- Author:
- Ahmed Tabaqchali
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
- Abstract:
- Iraq’s sectarian-based political system has depended on oil rents since 2003 to ensure its legitimacy and buy loyalty. Already running out of steam and challenged by protesters, it faces a major new test due to the drop in oil prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Unable to maintain its expensive patronage system, and in the absence of any real political reform, the days of the Muhasasa Ta’ifia may be running out.
- Topic:
- Reform, Protests, Public Health, Pandemic, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Iraq and Middle East