Prolonged Political Instability and the Deteriorating Living Environment

People in the Middle East and Europe are faced with twin crises: long-lasting regional turmoil and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Middle East, political instability has been lingering in many countries even though 10 years have passed since the Arab Spring. Even Tunisia, which is said to be a successful case, has seen a sluggish economy. Conflict-stricken Yemen, Syria, and Libya have been experiencing political and security instability and now face a number of challenges, including ravaged basic infrastructure and the deprivation of educational opportunities. The impact has spread to neighboring countries as well. The influx of Syrian refugees and their subsequent residence constitute a significant social and economic burden for Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

Europe, including Balkan countries that experienced a series of conflicts in the 1990s, has been regaining stability. Yet the region, especially Ukraine and Moldova, faces geopolitically destabilizing factors as well as vulnerabilities. The recent confrontation of Turkey vis-à-vis neighboring countries as well as the United States and Europe is also a cause for concern. Under these circumstances, the gaining momentum for reform with a view to acceding to the EU among Western Balkan countries is a welcome development.

The pandemic has exacerbated the problems that have dogged both regions. It is having negative effects on people's livelihoods and the broader environment surrounding them, including a rising poverty rate as a result of even higher unemployment. More people are taking to the streets and otherwise calling for their governments to improve their livelihoods.

Mid- to Long-Term Efforts toward Peace and Stability

JICA understands that peace and stability in the Middle East and Europe are crucial for peace and prosperity in Japan and the international community. With this in mind, JICA extended development cooperation in fiscal 2020 to address both existing regional issues and new issues associated with the pandemic from a medium- and long-term perspective. Such cooperation was built on four pillars, as shown below:

1. Regional stability and human security
   E. g., support for Syrian and Palestinian refugees and recon-struction assistance for Iraq
2. Quality growth
   E. g., cooperation in the environment and energy sectors, sup-port for industrial and investment promotion
3. Human resources development and exchanges; nurturing of future leaders with a great affinity toward and knowledge of Japan
   E. g., promotion of Japanese-style education, sharing of Japan's modernization experience
4. Promotion of regional initiatives
   E. g., effective utilization of regional tourism resources, cooper-ation in regional disaster risk reduction