Senior Scholar Bülent Aras and IPC Intern Devin Patrick Brown’s policy brief “COVID-19 and Civil Conflict: The Cases of Syria, Libya and Yemen” was published in August 2020.
Syria, Yemen, and Libya have been locked into incredibly destructive internal conflicts for the past six years or longer, further heightening the risks that accompany the current COVID-19 pandemic. On March 23, 2020, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrez called for a worldwide ceasefire and committed the UN to help provide relief and establish peace in areas that were already at high risk of spreading the virus. This policy brief evaluates the conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Yemen in an attempt to assess whether ceasefires have materialized, how the virus is impacting the course of fighting, and what policies are the most suitable to end the conflicts. While the UN’s ceasefire has had very little impact on the course of the conflicts, greater regional and local involvement is needed to support international efforts and maintain lasting peace.
Please click here for the policy brief.
