The Micro-level Analysis of the Impact of Violent Conflict on Lives and Livelihoods in the MENA Region

The MENA region is characterized by several interrelated socio-economic trends including rapidly growing populations, on average high degrees of (youth) unemployment, strong gender differences in terms of labor market participation, and political radicalization. The countries in the region often have weak and/or authoritarian central government institutions, declining public revenues from natural resources except in a few very resource-rich countries, and climate change impacts on agriculture and water management. Above all, insecurity and violent conflict of various intensity shape societies in several MENA countries directly or indirectly, via conflicts in neighboring countries. The conflicts differ in cause, nature, duration and intensity and hence have diverse and changing impacts on people. More importantly, these impacts may in turn compound the other aforementioned trends by, possibly, affecting population growth, unemployment, gender norm differentiation, political radicalization, weakening state institutions and increased needs for but reduced abilities to fund public services and infrastructures.