COVID-19 has now hit most of the world since its outbreak in December 2019. Governments around the world are trying to contain the virus with measures aimed, in particular, at limiting human contact as much as possible. The main fear is the explosion of critical cases to a level that could overwhelm healthcare systems. While measures seem to be working with varying degrees in each country, the damages they incur to the economy are yet to be measured.
One year from the start of General Khalifa Haftar’s offensive against Tripoli, the civil war in Libya is still raging despite continuous demands from the United Nations and the international community for a humanitarian truce to help combat COVID-19.
The coronavirus pandemic is the first truly global event of this century. From mainland China, Covid-19 spread quickly to all continents, exposing significant disparities in the responses from different societies and political regimes. The MENA region has been no exception, showing substantial variations in the measures adopted by governments and in the reactions of citizens to the crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit Iraq in late February, when the country was in its most fragile and vulnerable state and its caretaker government had been in deep hibernation since the start of mass protests in October 2019. Combined with the sharp drop of oil prices, this new blow is likely to further complicate the security, political and economic dynamics that have plagued Iraq for more than a decade.
The Kingdom of Morocco has been implementing a set of extremely severe measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country, so harsh that the Spanish newspaper El Paìs classified it at the top of the countries that adopted major restrictions in their fight against the pandemic.
As in other countries, COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses particular to Israel society and governance. These shortcomings are not revelatory. Instead, the coronavirus’ spread shines a spotlight on familiar, systemic issues consistently neglected over the decades.
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The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Palestine has exposed its structural vulnerability in a context of occupation. Events are still unfolding, but there is great concern that COVID-19 may severely affect Palestinian society, possibly causing a devastating sanitary, economic, and political crisis.
Mentre imperversa la polemica sull’affidabilità delle comunicazioni ufficiali cinesi sull’evolversi dei contagi nel paese, che Pechino dichiara finiti da giorni (secondo la Beijing Health Commission), il governo ce la sta mettendo tutta per mostrare che l’economia cinese è ripartita. I dati ufficiali indicano una riapertura diffusa delle attività produttive, del traffico stradale, del 98% delle società quotate (secondo la China Security Regulatory Commission), dell’89% dei lavori nei grandi progetti infrastrutturali (secondo la National Development and
Se c’è un settore travolto dal Coronavirus è il turismo. Quando muoversi diventa un pericolo, e chi si sposta è stigmatizzato, viene infatti a mancare la reason why di tutto il comparto. Potrebbe sembrare un fatto marginale, vista l’emergenza sanitaria che tutto il mondo sta vivendo, ma non è proprio così: parliamo di un giro d’affari che, nel 2017, costituiva più o meno il 10% del Pil globale. Il che significa ovviamente decine se non centinaia di milioni di lavoratori, tra impieghi diretti e indotto.
L’Italia ha agito in ritardo, ha titubato, ed è per questo che oggi il virus è avanzato più rapidamente qui da noi, provocando così tante morti. Una tesi che in queste settimane va per la maggiore, in Italia e all’estero. Ma è corretta? A leggere i dati diffusi dall’Università di Oxford, si direbbe di no.