The Levant: Land of Woe
Report: 14 to 31 August 2021
This report is also available in Arabic.
The Levant: An area where there is always something wrong. Photo credit: Al Jazeera.
While countries of the world are still suffering under the global economic contraction, things cannot be worse for the Levant. Still, the region is plagued with high unemployment, hyperinflation, and the loss of energy resources. Existing in a planet with increased connectivity and globalization, the area becoming increasingly isolated.
1- The socio-economic situation
Egypt
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-284,024 corona confirmed cases
-227,612 recovered
-16,487 deaths
Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development (Hala El-Said) | c. Sustainability Insider.
In addition to all the investments and financial assistance that came Egypt’s way, leaders are also addressing topics to maintain a successful and healthy economy in the long run. For instance, there exists the high birth rate predicament which is currently spewing 14 births every second. Despite a population plan already set in place in the 1960s, not much so far has been achieved. As such, Egypt’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said shed light on the subject and discussed the lack of integrated population policy as primary factors affecting Egypt’s bottom-heavy population pyramid. She emphasized the current growth rate will make it more difficult to provide quality education for children in the future. As such, “Egypt’s Vision 2030”, which provides the blueprint for social, economic, and environmental sustainability, can be put to use.
Currently, Egypt is facing fuel price hikes and travel restrictions from other countries. Yet, such two hurdles and other minor bumps along the road, will have minor effects on Egypt’s diversified economy.
Jordan
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-764,983 corona confirmed cases
-746,960 recovered
-9,963 deaths
IMF expects Jordan's economy to grow by 2pct in 2021.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Jordan’s economy is projected to grow by 2 percent in 2021 with a near-full economic reopening during the remainder of summer. The growth is due to the successful macroeconomic stability and structural reforms implemented by the Jordanian authorities. However, the IMF reiterated its previous remarks on unemployment, which has surged to a record 25 percent in Q4 2020. Meanwhile, youth unemployment is high at 55 percent. In other words, the economy, in general, is rebounding but microeconomic indicators may hinder and slow down progress. However, taking into consideration all the events that happened during these two years, the Kingdom is doing well.
Iraq
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-1,552,648 corona confirmed cases
-1,411,029 recovered
-18,287 deaths
The World Bank renewed its commitment to the continued support of Iraq, approving a new Country Partnership Framework.
Due to the increasing fragility in Iraq and the unsolved corona crisis, the World Bank Group renewed its commitment to support Iraq by approving a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to form the basis of its 2022–2026 partnership with the country. It aims to address the immediate needs of the poor and most vulnerable, and on the causes behind Iraq’s problems. So far, Iraq’s government seem to be in line with what the CPF proposes to do, as Iraqi leadership had been promising reforms for quite some time. As such, this improves the relationship between citizens and the state, the legitimacy and capacity of core institutions and fosters a healthy local private sector. For now, this seems good on paper, but people await the CPF’s pragmatism in dealing with such a dynamic environment/context.
Lebanon
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-555,302 corona confirmed cases
-536,111 recovered
-7,892 deaths
Every week that passes by for this tiny country, it loses more of its energy supply and skilled labour, as many leave the country in droves. The imminent crash of the economy and the political system has been delayed by efforts to save the country. For instance, the Lebanese Army and other security services have been cracking down on some fuel stations that have been hording fuel supplies. As a result, fuel is either distributed to critical institutions or being sold for the benefit of the government treasury. Other attempts to alleviate the situation are fuel imports from Iraq and Iran. However, it remains to be seen whether such a move is alleviating the crisis; endless lines at stations which have yet to run out of fuel, can be seen everywhere.
The fuel/energy crunch is also affecting Lebanon’s access to clean water. According to the UNHCR, UNICEF estimated that water costs could increase by 200 percent a month when securing water from alternative or private water suppliers if the public system collapses. As such, four million Lebanese are under threat of having limited access to water when pumps are left without fuel.
Hopefully, the political deadlock in Lebanon will end, and warry factions will finally agree upon a government that would plug this grave socioeconomic wound. Yet, the corrupt remains in power leaching off Lebanon’s final breaths.
Palestine
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-316,088 corona confirmed cases
-311,526 recovered
-3,599 deaths
The new currency may give Palestinians a sense of autonomy. Photo credit: The Institute for Palestine Studies.
In its attempt to regain its sovereignty and to have its own currency, the Palestinian Authority is considering digitalizing its economy by adopting its own digital currency. Previously, the 1993-1995 Oslo Accords prevented Palestine from having its own currency. As a result, it had to rely on American Dollars, Jordanian, Israeli shekel, and the Jordanian dinar.
However, adopting such an idea would not come without its obstacles. For one, Israeli authorities will seek to discredit such a move so that the Zionist state can continue its stranglehold over Palestine. For the time being, the newly elected PM of Israel has signaled to the media, a policy change concerning Palestine, as he has promised a halt to all annexation activities and a resumption of increased dialogue.
Syria
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-25,877 corona confirmed cases
-21,948 recovered
-1,906 deaths
A cement factory in Syria. Photo credit: NY Times.
Similarly to Lebanon, Syria is in murky waters. The Syrian government is continuing to reduce the quantity of subsidized bread allocated to consumers as it pares back subsidies on other key commodities, fueling already soaring living costs and posing more risks to food security. In the stiflingly hot summer of Syria’s eleventh year of war, people across the country are facing gas, electricity and fuel shortages and rising food prices, alongside an inflation rate that has been soaring for nearly two years. Business have reported closure as only 59.2 percent of the 800,000 companies surveyed were still operational. Even foreign companies, such as the South Korean electronics company LG, have left Syria due to the collapse of the citizens' purchasing power. All spells doom for this Levantine country as citizens continue to illegally flee the country.
Every cloud has its silver lining, however. Unlike Lebanon, plans are being executed to rejuvenate key sectors vital for Syria’s sustainability. Details of two renewable energy projects came to light as the alternative to conventional power sources as the country is gripped by fuel shortages. The Syrian government also announced signing three contracts with private investors to rehabilitate large factories in the sugar and cement sectors. Moreover, Syria announced additional new gas production as it seeks to meet its significant electricity production shortage. In short, Syria is paving the way to self-sustenance while its neighboring countries are either in auto-cardiac arrest or relying on foreign aid. Do note however, Syria is still in the beginning of the road.
Cyprus
Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:
-97,718 corona confirmed cases
-77,047 recovered
-401 deaths
Cyprus economy enters a path of recovery and growth, Finance Minister says. Photo cred: in-cyprus.com.
According to the estimate of the Statistical Service, the economy grew by 12.8% in the second quarter of 2021 defying previous expectations. The implementation of the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, including significant reforms and investments, has already started to yield results as the economy grew by 12.8% in the second quarter of 2021. The economic situation is looking positive as the Minister of Finance Petrides, is confident that country will regain what it had lost during the peak of the pandemic, in no time. Moreover, Cyprus is doing better than many countries in the EU which have suffered from terrible recession. In Cyprus, the positive GDP growth rate is mainly attributed to: hotels and restaurants, construction, manufacturing, transport, storage and communication, trade, entertainment and recreation.
2- The refugee situation
Egypt
According to a recent study by UNICEF, the unemployment rate in Egypt among refugees is 29 per cent, compared with 8.9 per cent nationally.[1]
Jordan
The UNHCR states that there are currently 669,497 registered refugees in Jordan up until the beginning of August.
The proportion of Syrian displaced people registered within the UNHCR for August, are distributed as follows:
-198,020 in Amman Governorate (29.6 %)
-166,827 in Mafraq Governorate (24.9%)
-136,702 in Irbid Governorate (20.4%)
-97,703 in Zarqa Governorate (14.6%)
-18,275 in Balqa Governorate (2.7%)
-13,201 in Madaba Governorate (2%)
-9,338 in Jarash Governorate (1.4%)
-8, 595 in Karak Governorate (1.3%)
-8,295 in Maan Governorate (1.2%)
-6,483 in Ajlun Governorate (1.0%)
-3,796 in Aqaba Governorate (0.6%)
-1,656 in Tafilah Governorate (0.2%)
A workshop was held in the Jordanian to discuss ways to improve access to reliable services and socio-economic opportunities for migrants and displaced populations in urban settlements. [2]
Iraq
The UNHCR states that there are currently 247,044 registered Syrian refugees in Iraq.
The proportion of displaced Syrian people registered within the UNHCR up until the beginning of June, are distributed as follows:
-125,464 in Erbil (50.8%)
-84,210 in Dahuk (34.1%)
-32,263 in Sulaymaniyah (13.1%)
-2,244 in Anbar (0.9%)
-2,863 in other areas (1.2%)[3]
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has received a €6 million contribution from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) to support WFP’s monthly food assistance to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) and Syrian refugees living in Iraq
The project ‘Restoration and strengthening the resilience of agri-food systems in Southern Iraq’ has been launched by the EU and the FAO, to empower poor smallholder farmers, improve agricultural productivity to strengthen farmers' income and create job opportunities.[4]
Lebanon
[Please note that this statistics section is yet not updated by UNHCR]
Since March, the number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon is 865,531.
Refugees in Lebanon are distributed as follows:
-334,668 in Bekaa (39.1%)
-230,601 in North Lebanon (27%)
-197,410 in Beirut (23.1%)
-92,493 in South Lebanon (10.8%)[5]
Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) in Lebanon launched a project to treat cancer patients among the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. [6]
The UNRWA released a statement that it is extremely alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the situation in Lebanon and its effects on Palestine refugees. [7]
In June, WFP assisted a total of 1,405,106 beneficiaries through cash-based transfer modalities amounting to USD 11.7 million and through distribution of food parcels. The people assisted were 396,990 vulnerable Lebanese, 987,219 Syrian refugees, and 20,897 refugees of other nationalities.[8]
Syria
According to UNICEF, there are 12.4 million people in need of health care assistance, a number worsened by COVID-19 as well as the effects of food insecurity. Moreover, there are 12.4 million people in need of health care assistance, a number worsened by COVID-19 as well as the effects of food insecurity.[9]
As of 11 August, Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) have registered 33,540 people (6,446 households) displaced in Dara’a city and surrounding areas, the majority are women and children (31,076).
More than 1 million children are estimated to be out of school out of a population of 1.7 million school-aged children.
Almost one million people have been displaced to Northeast Syria. most of which are hosted in the Province of Hassaka in camps, urban makeshift settlements, local residents’ homes, and public facilities such as schools.
More than 355 500 total doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Syria as of 9 August as part of ongoing efforts to protect priority groups and control virus transmission. This includes 55 500 doses administered in northwest Syria and 19 354 doses administered in northeast Syria.[10]
Cyprus
Cypriot authorities intercepted two boats carrying 88 migrants off the island's coast and transferred them back to Lebanon.[11]
With world leaders bracing for a new humanitarian crisis after the Taliban’s lightning takeover of Afghanistan, the Cypriot government is worried about a potential influx of refugees which will add further pressure on its already overwhelmed asylum service, according to the Interior minister.[12]
Communication and Public Relations Department
[1] OCHA, Relief Web, Aug 24, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/humanitarian-action-children-2021-syrian-refugees-revision-1-july-2021
[2] OCHA, August 13, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/jordan/un-habitat-workshop-addresses-issues-migrants-and-displaced-populations-face-urban
[3] https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/5
[4] OCHA, https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/restoration-and-strengthening-resilience-agri-food-systems-southern-iraq-enar
[5] https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71
[6] OCHA, August 25, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/qrcs-provides-cancer-medications-syrian-refugees-lebanon-enar
[7] OCHA, August 19, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-unrwa-calls-support-palestine-refugees-amongst-most-vulnerable-communities
[8] OCHA, July 8, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/wfp-lebanon-country-brief-june-2021
[9] OCHA, August 8, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNICEF%20Whole%20of%20Syria%20Humanitarian%20Situation%20Report%20-%20January%20to%20June%202021.pdf
[10] OCHA, August 11, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/updates-covid-19-vaccination-syria-august-2021-enar
[11] Info Migrants, August 24, 2021, https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/34549/cyprus-sends-syrian-migrants-back-to-lebanon
[12] Cyprus Mail, August 22, 2021, https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/08/22/government-fears-influx-of-afghan-refugees/