Helen Lackner ECFR Alumni · Visiting Fellow Summary For eight years, Yemen has suffered a civil war, whose conduct has been exacerbated by outside powers, principally Saudi Arabia and the UAE on one...
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Syria + 5 more
From aid to inclusion: A better way to help Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan
Kelly Petillo Programme Coordinator, Middle East and North Africa programme Summary The number of Syrian refugees attempting to enter Europe has doubled in the last two years. This shift is driven by...
The path to recognition: Kosovo’s and Serbia’s evolving dialogue
Summary The EU-sponsored dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is entering a critical phase: it is unclear whether the parties will agree on a new agenda or continue to discuss old issues. Kosovo Prime...
Free to choose: A new plan for peace in Western Sahara
Summary The recent violent end of the ceasefire in Western Sahara means the EU and the UN should pay renewed attention to resolving the longstanding conflict between the native Sahrawis and Morocco. ...
Talking to the Houthis: How Europeans can promote peace in Yemen
SUMMARY Early Houthi promises to Yemenis of fairer and more transparent government have come to nothing, and the group exerts a rule of brutal suppression. The Houthis now govern over most of Yemen’s...
Politicised aid: Why Europe should sustain cross-border humanitarian assistance to northern Syria
Commentary Kelly Petillo René Wildangel 29th June, 2020 European countries should work to renew the UN Security Council resolution on cross-border humanitarian access to northern Syria, lest the area...
Syria + 1 more
A new Gaza: Turkey's border policy in northern Syria
For decades, Turkey's leaders pledged that their country would never pursue any sort of territorial expansion -- presiding as they did over a modern nation-state built upon the ashes of a vast...
Iraq + 1 more
After ISIS: How to Win the Peace in Iraq and Libya
By Hayder al-Khoei & Ellie Geranmayeh & Mattia Toaldo SUMMARY ISIS has suffered significant setbacks in both Iraq and Libya with the battles for Mosul and Sirte representing potential turning-points...
Yemen’s Forgotten War: How Europe Can Lay the Foundations for Peace
By Adam Baron SUMMARY After years of conflict Yemen is on the verge of absolute collapse. Institutions across the country are falling apart, while a plethora of armed groups have taken advantage of...
EU differentiation and the push for peace in Israel-Palestine
SUMMARY The adoption and streamlining of differentiation measures represents a unique and effective European contribution towards Israeli-Palestinian peace at a time in which the Middle East Peace...
Lebanon + 3 more
The War Next Door: Syria and the Erosion of Stability in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey
By Julien Barnes-Dacey Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey have so far been surprisingly resilient to the spillover from Syria’s civil war, in terms of refugees, terror, and domestic divisions. But now the...
Afghanistan + 3 more
Eternally displaced: Afghanistan’s refugee crisis and what it means for Europe
By Angela Stanzel Afghans are the second biggest group claiming asylum in Europe, and their numbers are set to keep rising. To stem the influx of Afghan refugees, Europe needs to turn to Asian...
World + 8 more
Bear any burden: How EU governments can manage the refugee crisis
By Susi Dennison & Josef Janning “Bear any burden: How EU governments can manage the refugee crisis” by Susi Dennison and Josef Janning, explores the limitations of Europe’s collective response to...
World + 1 more
Paying the price: The cost of Europe’s refugee crisis
By Sebastian Dullien “Paying the price: The cost of Europe's refugee crisis” by Sebastian Dullien explores the economics behind the refugee crisis and makes the case for a more formal European...
Why Europe must stop outsourcing its security
Richard Gowan and Nick Witney Europe should expect ever-increasing pressure from refugees on its southern borders unless it is prepared to bear the cost and risk of military operations to control...
What will happen with Eastern Ukraine?
Kadri Liik and Andrew Wilson Europe needs a clearer and more unified strategy for promoting a diplomatic settlement if Ukraine is to avoid becoming a frozen conflict, according to a policy paper...
Yemen's political transition at risk of collapse
By Adam Baron For years now, Dr. Mohammed Abdulmalek al-Mutawakil, the secretary-general of Yemen’s opposition Union of Popular Forces party, has epitomised for many Yemenis the values of the modern...
A European agenda to support Libya’s transition
Europe could do more to protect its interests in Libya. Three years after the revolution, the transition is lagging behind with deadlines for key steps including elections, a new constitution and...
Syria’s war economy
Jihad Yazigi Summary Three years into a conflict that is estimated to have killed at least 140,000 people from both sides, much of the Syrian economy lies in ruins. The regime of President Bashar...
Syria's uprising within an uprising
BY RANIA ABOUZEID It was bound to happen, this uprising within an uprising against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a transnational ultraconservative Islamist group that ostensibly...