The Middle East and the New Arrival

Report: 16 to 26 July 2021

This report is also available in Arabic.

The Delta variant of the new coronavirus, first identified in India, has now been detected in more than 100 countries, including the Middle East. Photo credit: Al Jazeera.

As the WHO warns of the next wave of the corona pandemic, the Delta variant of the virus continues to spread worldwide and in the ME region. If it weren’t for the vaccine rollout that preceded the emergence of the new strain, the effects would not be imaginable.

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

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi held a telephone call with Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik Al Said. https://dailynewsegypt.com/ July 18, 2021.

During this month, Egypt’s main concern was enhancing bilateral ties with its partners worldwide. The African Finance Corporation (AFC), via its President and Chief Executive Officer, declared that AFC is seeking to cement its presence in the country’s major development projects and to increase opportunities for other investments. As such, 1 billion dollars will be spent in Egypt’s various development projects related to transport, logistics, and industrial packaging. In the same context, Egypt and Oman convened via telephone, to discuss enhancing joint bilateral relations between the two countries. Not much specifics have been announced, but judging by Egypt’s track record in orchestrating massive projects, the telephone meeting seems to be a prelude to something bigger.

Along with AFC and Oman, an American company is also considering expanding in Egypt. According to US ambassador to Cairo, Jonathan Cohen, an American company plans to inject investments worth $5 billion over the next five years. He also emphasized that he is attempting to get other major companies aboard, so that the total American investments for this year, to reach 2 billion dollars. Similarly, a French investment group called Vicat Group, stated that its currently assessing the Egyptian market and is considering investing in the real estate/ construction sector.

Jordan

Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:

-764,983 corona confirmed cases

-746,960 recovered

-9,963 deaths

The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has disbursed €250 million in macro-financial assistance (MFA) to Jordan. July 22, 2021. www.eureporter.co.

Walking in the footsteps of Egypt, Jordan too is attempting to attract investment opportunities by further liberalizing the economy. As such, the Council of Ministers approved a bylaw to sell, rent and invest in the lands of the National Resources Investment and Development Corporation (Mawared) with the aim of easing investment procedures. Moreover, it approved the settlement of pending cases between taxpayers and the Income and Sales Tax Department. Such an act came at the backdrop of the pandemic and the damage it did to the private sector. Therefore, this forced the economy to contract by 1.6% in 2020.

Seeing that the country is trying to enact reforms and such, the IMF dispatched $206 million to Jordan under a four-year $1.3 billion loan program, and approved Jordan's request to expand the program by $200 million to help it continue battling the COVID-19 pandemic.  Combined with Jordan’s fiscal reforms, the released funds will boost Jordan’s economy, allowing it to head-start the post-recovery stage.

Iraq

Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:

-1,552,648 corona confirmed cases

-1,411,029 recovered

-18,287 deaths

Demonstrators hold national flags and posters showing protesters who were killed during previous demonstrations, in Basra, Iraq [File: Nabil al-Jurani/AP].

Just like Lebanon, Iraq is facing power cuts which pushed residents to stage demonstrations. For instance, in the city of Basra, which is ironically an oil producing city, citizens took to the streets as electricity was cut amidst rising temperatures (50 degrees Celsius). Instead of resolving the crisis, the police clashed with demonstrators leaving many injured.

Heeding to the frustratred chants and slogans, Basra’s Governor Asaad al-Eidani warned in a televised address last week that he would isolate Basra’s power stations from the rest of Iraq if the central government does not resolve the crisis. In other words, even local officials are rebelling against the central government which people consider ‘corrupt’. When interviewed, a citizen will state that Iraq has lots of money, but is not spent on the ordinary citizen.

Lebanon

Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:

-555,302 corona confirmed cases

-536,111 recovered

-7,892 deaths

Demonstrators and chaos fill the streets of Tripoli. Photo credit: VOA News.

Yet again, Lebanese officials failed to form a government that would save the population from the detriorating standards of living, the outrageous powecuts, and the demoralizing fuel shortage. As soon PM delgate Saad el Hariri stepped down from forming a new government, havoc broke out on the street, raising tensions within the country. As a replacement to Mr. Hariri, billionaire Najib El Mikati, was proposed to run as the new PM. This produced shock waves in the media, as another candidate from the same group that has been in power for more than 2 decades,  was proposed as a solution. Meanwhile, there is a plethora of independent candidates, the “Revolution” had named that can pick up the torch of fixing the country. But seeing how things are done in the country, the  old ways seem to be a more attractive option for the elite.

Meanwhile, the written and digital media is soaked with requests for help from citizens all over the country.

“We cannot get anything.  There is no medicine, no Internet, no fuel,” is a common phrase repeatedly heard by every person living in Lebanon.

More than half the population are now living below the poverty line. Even those that were better off before the crisis, are not able to access medicine, internet, and fuel. The siuation deteriorated to the point that, the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut reported that families would have to spend around five times the minimum wage just to put sufficient food on the table, never mind paying for utilities, gas and hard-to-find medicine.

For the time being, the momemt of truth is approaching as an international conference, scheduled August 4 to discuss the crisis in Lebanon, might be the last chance to save the failing state of Lebanon from meltdown, warn French officials.

Either the people will prevail, or they will be left alone to phase the mafia governing Lebanon. It all counts on the bravery of a few judges, the solidarity of citizens, and the patronage of international partners. 

Palestine

Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:

-316,088 corona confirmed cases

-311,526 recovered

-3,599 deaths

Palestine is still a destroyed country. www.borgenmagazine.com.

With the elimination of Netanyahu from the elections, relations with Palestine eased up. The new direction Israelis seem to be taking is the normalization of relations with the Palestinian Authorities. They held meetings to discuss steps of trust-building for improving security and economy in the region. Hopefully, the Zionists will also stop building illegal settlements in the process. Meanwhile, the US had announced in March that it would provide $15 million of assistance to address Covid-19 impact and food insecurity in the West Bank and Gaza. As such, these two actions signify a change in trajectory towards Palestine. Finally, their struggle opened the eyes of everyone; they have held their ground while putting up a stubborn fight.

Palestine however is still not out of the woodworks, as an internally-fueled political crisis grips the state: There was a postponement of the parliamentary elections and the death of a political activist in the custody of Palestinian security forces. The corona pandemic and the combination of the financial and political crises puts the Palestinian Authority in a very precarious situation. Hopefully, Palestinians will find common ground on the various issues and join together to rebuild the country.

Syria

Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:

-25,877 corona confirmed cases

-21,948 recovered

-1,906 deaths

President Bashar al-Assad (right) meets visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Damascus. Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock.

 In a televised acceptance speech, President Assaad said the main impediment to investment in the country was money stuck in ailing Lebanese banks, worth between $40 billion and $60 billion dollars. He also blamed Western sanctions for widespread hardship, including soaring prices and people struggling to afford food and basic supplies. Meanwhile, the UN estimates that more than 80% of Syrians live under the poverty line. The Syrian currency is in a free fall and basic services and resources have become scarce or are offered at overpriced parallel market prices. Although fighting has largely decreased, parts of Syria remain out of government-control and foreign troops and militias are deployed in different parts of the country. Even people who went back to their homes returned to their IDP camps.

Some help is on the way as China is currently sniffing about for investment opportunities in Syria. Assad endorsed Beijing’s belt and road project which aims to link the Chinese and Syrian economies. In return, Wang urged that sanctions on Damascus be overturned. However, the fact remains is that Syria needs direct investment for short-term gains as the country is in a humanitarian catastrophe.

Cyprus

Corona cases, deaths and recovered are distributed as follows:

-97,718 corona confirmed cases

-77,047 recovered

-401 deaths

The Cypriot economy continues to recover after registering an impressive year-on-year growth rate of 11.2 per cent in June according to a report by the University of Cyprus Economic Research Centre. Commenting on the very point, Finance Minister Constantinos Petridis, speaking at the launch conference of public consultation on “Vision 2035: Long-Term Strategy for the Sustainable Development of the Cypriot Economy”, claimed that Cyprus’s economy is finally ready to transform. The plan proposes two types of initiatives which have a wide-reaching impact across the entire economy, society and the environment.

However, what the minister did not discuss is the current territorial spat with Turkey. Turkish Cypriots on the 20th of July, claimed that part of Varosha would come under civilian control and people would be able to reclaim properties - angering Greek Cypriots who accused their Turkish rivals of orchestrating a land-grab by stealth. In reaction, France released a statement condemning Turkey and calling it a provocation. Although the situation is alarming, Cyprus can benefit from three things: A plethora of supporting partners including the EU, an isolated Turkey, and an improving economy. As such, the crisis should weigh little on Cyprus’s future.

2- The refugee situation

Egypt                                                            

• Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry convened with the European Union's Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in Brussels to discuss cooperation in the fields of migration, asylum along with means to promote regular migration pathways, protection of migrants and refugees and developing regional and international cooperation in these areas[1]

Jordan

The UNHCR states that there are currently 668,332 registered refugees in Jordan up until the beginning of June.

The proportion of Syrian displaced people registered within the UNHCR for May, are distributed as follows:

-197,397 in Amman Governorate (29.6 %)

-166,385  in Mafraq Governorate (24.9%)

-136,669 in Irbid Governorate (20.5%)

-97,606  in Zarqa Governorate (14.6%)

-18,366 in Balqa Governorate (2.8%)

-13,132 in Madaba Governorate (2%)

-9,340 in Jarash Governorate (1.4%)

-8, 569 in Karak Governorate (1.3%)

-8,332 in Maan Governorate (1.2%)

-6,486 in Ajlun Governorate (1.0%)

-3,791 in Aqaba Governorate (0.6%)

-1,650 in Tafilah Governorate (0.2%)

• Fears grow in refugee camps as the UN decreased its budget for Syrians in Jordan.[2]

• In a survey by the UNHCR, ninety-five percent of participants - of which there were 3,216 Jordanians in total - said their country had too many refugees.[3]

Iraq

The UNHCR states that there are currently 245,952 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:

-124,785 in Erbil (50.7%)

-84,174 in Dahuk (34.4%)

-32,231 in Sulaymaniyah (13.1%)

-1,429 in Anbar (0.6%)

-3,333 in other areas (1.4%)[4]

• Iraq throughout this month witnessed the migration of Syrian refugees to other lands outside of Iraq..

• As a part of its ongoing support for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Iraq, the Government of Germany will provide additional multi-year humanitarian funding that will better position IOM to respond to the needs of populations in need[5]

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%)[6]

• Children as young as five are being forced onto the streets to sell black-market gasoline and collect scrap metal and plastic, as COVID-19 exacerbates the economic crisis in Lebanon, Save the Children claimed.[7]

• According to a UN top official, Lebanon, over the next eight months, will need around $300 million to provide vital aid to around 1.5 million Lebanese and 400,000 migrant workers living in the country.[8]

• 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.[9]

Syria

• The SRTF (Syria Recovery Trust Fund) announced that it has supported farmers produce more than 53,505 tons of wheat in Northeast Syria.[10]

• Save the Children welcomed the repatriation of some 26 children and a number of their mothers from camps in North-East Syria to Belgium, Kosovo, Finland and North Macedonia over the past month.[11]

• Save the Children said at least 13 children have been killed in a wave of violence in North West Syria, during a few days.[12]

• The SRTF’s health project, “Rehabilitation of a Medical Facility and Support for Two Health Facilities in Northern Aleppo reprted an update on its progress. The project completed construction works, in addition to steel, electrical, and water and sanitation, ventilation and oxygen, and aluminum works for a COVID-19 ICU center.[13]

• The UN has warned that the persistent interruptions of essential services to civilians in Syria are increasing and up to 1 million people are impacted, including many of the most vulnerable displaced families living in camps and informal settlements.[14]

Cyprus

• The authorities of Greek-administered Cyprus has moved to shut down a group of human rights organizations, including KISA, a well-known non-profit that advocates for migrant rights on the island.[15]

• The National Council warned that possible claims by Varosha refugees to the immovable properties commission (IPC) over their properties carried risks because it furthers Turkey’s goal of partition.[16]

Communication and Public Relations Department

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[1] Egypt Today, July 12, 2021, https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/105968/Egypt%E2%80%99s-FM-Shoukry-discuss-protection-of-migrants-refugees-with-EU

[2] Xinhuanet, 2021-06-29 , vhttp://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-06/29/c_1310034597_2.htm

[3] Alaraby, July 15, 2021,https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/un-poll-finds-hardening-attitudes-toward-refugees-jordan

[4] https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/5

[5]OCHA, July 22, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/iraq/germany-iom-strengthen-partnership-evolving-humanitarian-response-iraq-enarku

[6] https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/syria/location/71

[7] OCHA, July 12, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-crisis-children-young-five-face-violence-dog-attacks-forced-streets-work

[8] OCHA, June 14, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/around-15-million-lebanese-need-top-un-humanitarian-official-there-warns

[9] OCHA, July 8, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/wfp-lebanon-country-brief-june-2021

[10] https://www.srtfund.org/home

[11]OCHA, July 19, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/north-east-syria-repatriations-show-giving-children-future-possible

[12] OCHA, July 18, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/north-west-syria-save-children-condemns-attacks-killing-least-13

[13] OCHA, July 16, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/srtf-health-project-completes-rehabilitation-works-covid-19-icu-center

[14] OCHA, July 15, 2021, https://reliefweb.int/report/syrian-arab-republic/1-million-people-risk-due-severe-interruptions-alouk-water-station-enar

[15] TRT, July 7, 2021, https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/why-is-cyprus-cracking-down-on-ngos-serving-migrants-48170

[16] Cyprus Mail, July 21, 2021, https://cyprus-mail.com/2021/07/21/national-council-urges-varosha-refugees-not-to-apply-to-ipc/