COVID-19 in Middle East and North Africa : Pandemic, Impacts and Responses

The volume examines the origins, evolution, impacts and responses of all the 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to COVID-19.

COVID-19 pandemic dramatically disrupted the people and polities globally, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was no exception. Although the pandemic affected all countries, there were noticeable variations in its impact and management. The economies in the Gulf, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Israel, heavily reliant on global trade, services and tourism, suffered serious setbacks. In contrast, countries experiencing instability, such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya, faced different kinds of challenges due to ongoing economic, political, and social turmoil. The volume delves into how all the MENA countries were affected and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores the role of religion, internal and external politics and international organisations that shaped the responses of these countries. The volume analyses 20 countries across the MENA region, featuring extensive tables and figures to illustrate its findings. While aiming for academic rigor, the volume adopts a simple yet systemic approach to examine more than a dozen factors to understand the impact of the unprecedented global crisis in a crucial region.