2020 #2 – As Crises Unfold: How the MENA Region Responds
In October of this year, the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum (MENAF) will mark half a decade since its foundation as an intellectual hub at the University of Cambridge for those interested in the Middle East and North Africa. We have come a long way since our founders
One of the challenges for those of us who study the Middle East and North Africa region has been the ever-increasing urgency with which to analyse information that will allow us to understand, as well as anticipate, change. As grassroots movements, bilateral diplomatic efforts and regional shifts in power relations
Welcome to the second issue of Manara for 2020! Our theme this issue was ‘As Crises Unfold: How the MENA Region Responds’ – a pressing and prescient topic which, in many ways, is explored in real time within these pages. The core of our August issue is, of course, focused
Flip through the issue in its entirety. Read, download, share.
2020 #2
September 4, 2020
For years Yemen has been plagued by civil war, starvation, and disease. With the new threat of coronavirus rapidly spreading across the country, how will
Introduction The novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) has wreaked havoc across the globe, threatening to crash economies, closing borders, and devastating lives. In the MENA region, Saudi
A pandemic is frightening. A pandemic of a confusing, volatile, and deadly respiratory disease like this coronavirus is even more so. Yet the effects of
I welcome this opportunity to share what I have been thinking about this terrible Covid-19 pandemic. Like many of you, I have found this time
Introduction China’s relationships with Western powers are in a state of crisis. This is partly a result of – and is shown by – issues
In what was arguably one of the most shocking foreign policy developments and biggest news items of that year, NATO-aligned forces invaded Libya in March
Introduction While much of the rest of the world was confined to their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, protestors in Lebanon defied curfews and
For many parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, the UK’s bi-lateral relationship, often forged over centuries, has always meant more than
Introduction When the Azadi Tower in Tehran lit up red and yellow on 18th February 2020 in solidarity with China’s battle against novel coronavirus, the
Introduction The Arab Spring revolts in North Africa in 2010-2011 brought down Tunisian and Egyptian regimes, yet Morocco and Algeria escaped relatively unscathed. While there
The Jordanian reaction to the global coronavirus pandemic draped swiftly across the Kingdom. The unified leadership strategy wove consistent messaging from His Majesty King Abdullah
Introduction When it comes to the pandemic, Western and developed countries face a major health and economic crisis that will impact them far into the
Introduction The term ‘comorbidity’ refers to conditions that occur concurrently with a primary illness which present an increased risk to life and health outcomes.[1] Hypertension
The number of suicide attempts in Kuwait among the stateless Bidoon community have been far higher than reported, with those that do end up in
Introduction With the novel coronavirus having advanced well into Kuwait, the country has seen nearly 42,000 cases and 339 deaths despite a total lockdown.[1] The
Introduction The migrant workforce is the silent engine of the Middle East. In 2019, a sum of 25 million migrants worked in the Gulf Cooperation
Introduction In 2019, the UN had reported that almost 80% of Yemen’s population was at risk of starvation and disease, and almost 78% lived in
