: Middle East in Focus

EGYPT

Though Egypt's capital city of Cairo has a thriving middle-class and the country is rich in industry, the contrast between north and south, urban and rural, is striking...more

IRAQ

March 19 2003 marked the beginning of the Second Gulf War in Iraq, but the people of Iraq had in fact been suffering the effects of conflict and economic sanctions since the early nineties...more

YEMEN

Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East. Poverty is widespread with around 42 percent of the population living below the poverty line...more

PALESTINE

The years of conflict faced by the Palestinian people show no sign of relenting; in fact many believe that the humanitarian situation is worse now than it has been at any time since 1967...more

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MIDDLE EAST

The Middle East has long been seen as of strategic importance throughout the world.

The region contains around two-thirds of the world's oil supplies and therefore, not surprisingly, some of the world's richest countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. However, these countries offer a sharp contrast with sister-countries such as Palestine and Yemen.

As well as extreme poverty, drought and lack of economic growth, many Middle-Eastern countries are characterised by recurrent and prolonged conflicts; both internal and external.

IR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

IR’s work in the Middle East concentrates on: Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Yemen and Lebanon.

Click on your country of interest for updates on how IR is helping the people of the Middle East.

If the country you are looking for is not there, click back later as we will be updating this section over the coming weeks.