Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Arab States Struggle in 2020 following COVID, Economic and Political Crises

Edward Yeranian

   CAIRO - The year 2020 for the Arab world---stretched across North
   Africa and the Levant---was catastrophic for many countries, according
   to some analysts. Regional conflicts and economic problems, exacerbated
   by COVID19, have created a disaster from which a number of countries
   are finding it difficult to recover.

   Lebanon was the Arab country which underwent the most serious crisis in
   2020 after an explosion at Beirut port ravaged most of the capital,
   killing several hundred people and hitting an economy already facing
   the collapse of its currency with an added disaster.

   2020 was also a disaster of a year for many other Arab countries,
   spread across North Africa and the Levant, and the situation was
   compounded by the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.

   The economies of countries like Syria and Yemen, in addition to
   Lebanon, have nearly imploded while a general economic crisis affects
   other states like Tunisia, Libya, Iraq and Iran. Egypt appears to be
   the only country with a positive 3.5% growth rate, although its poverty
   rate also appears to be on the rise.

   Civil war and sectarian conflicts now affect at least four regional
   Arab states: Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. The conflicts in Yemen and
   Syria appear intractable while conflicts in Libya and Iraq sputter
   intermittently as outside actors get involved in their internal crises.

   Multiple regional and international actors, including Turkey, Qatar,
   the UAE, Egypt, Russia, France and Italy have locked horns in Libya,
   with efforts to arm both warring parties. Meddling by Iran in Yemen has
   made it more difficult to solve the conflict there, as Saudi Arabia
   finds itself in a military morass from which it is difficult to extract
   itself.

   Egyptian political sociologist Said Sadek told VOA that Saudi Crown
   Prince Mohammed Bin Salman would like to extricate his country from the
   military and humanitarian quagmire in Yemen, but that the Houthis are
   making it costly to do so.

.