11 countries have imposed partial or general curfews in response to COVID outbreaks. In Egypt and Jordan, curfews remained in place as late as July 2020 but were imposed on a reduced and fluctuating basis depending on indicators related to the virus, such as the number of new cases per day.

Although authorities have relaxed lockdown measures in most MENA countries, in many places, public gatherings remain prohibited or severely limited. In Iraq, for instance, the Supreme Committee for National Health and Safety has banned gatherings of all kinds and provided that violators will be penalized. Assembly bans have affected religious gatherings as well: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have strictly limited the annual pilgrimage in Mecca to an estimated 1,000 residents, while the event traditionally draws around 2 million Muslims from around the world.

In March 2020, authorities in 7 countries issued decrees banning the printing and sale of newspapers (Jordan, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen). Authorities justified the bans on the grounds that newspapers contributed to the spread of COVID-19, but provided no evidence of a link between print media and contagion. The newsprint bans restricted press freedom and access to information concerning the pandemic, particularly in areas where internet penetration is limited.

New legal measures to counter “fake news” have been used in several MENA countries as a basis to penalize online expression, including expression that challenges official state narratives. In Morocco, for instance, the government detained and prosecuted at least a dozen people in March for “spreading rumors” or disseminating “fake news” about COVID-19 on social media. Authorities in Jordan arrested journalists and media executives under a new law that criminalizes causing “public panic” about the pandemic after they produced news reports on the hardships faced by day laborers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Egypt, Oman, and the UAE have imposed fines ranging from $100 to $20,000 on anyone found to have spread “fake news” about the virus or the government’s response on social media.

Many countries in the MENA region have turned to surveillance technology to help track and prevent the spread of the virus. Oman has used drones, and Tunisia has deployed robots to monitor the movement of persons under quarantine and enforce limits on social gatherings. The UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Tunisia, and Morocco have all adopted new apps to facilitate contact-tracing. For instance, Jordan made a COVID-19 tracing app compulsory for all government workers and anyone who visits a government agency. It is still unclear whether the use of such technology is effective in containing the spread of the virus, and concerns are rising over the negative impact of the use of such technology on the right to privacy and protection of personal data.

Syria held parliamentary elections in mid-July, having been delayed twice since April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Municipal elections were delayed by several months throughout Libya and in certain cities in Tunisia.

In some countries, such as Jordan, Palestine, and Yemen, civil society organizations’ role in the official pandemic response was very limited in the early days of the crisis. Civil society was not part of any formal decision-making process as the countries sought to manage the pandemic. In Libya, civil society has been active in raising awareness about the virus, but the government has resisted any collaboration with the sector.

• Unemployment: The pandemic is already causing dramatic economic consequences in MENA, as elsewhere, including a drop in oil revenues, remittances, foreign direct investment, and tourism. Egypt’s unemployment rate, for instance, increased to over 9% at the end of April due to COVID-related measures, including border closures and lockdowns.
• Women: The socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 have had a particularly severe impact on women. UN Women estimates that women in the Arab world will lose approximately 700,000 jobs because of the pandemic. Civil society organizations working in the field of women’s protection have reported that lockdown measures and movement restrictions in MENA are also increasing women’s exposure to domestic violence. Several MENA countries have taken steps to integrate the specific needs of women in the COVID-19 response. Algeria and Tunisia, for instance, have actively involved the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in the committees charged with managing the COVID-19 crisis response.
• Refugees: The pandemic has also severely affected refugees. In Jordan, for instance, Syrian refugees have been prevented from leaving government camps during lockdowns. A high proportion of refugee children in Jordan also lack internet access, depriving them of access to education as schools transitioned to virtual learning.
• Humanitarian Aid: Movement restrictions have also limited the operations of international aid groups and the delivery of humanitarian assistance. For example, when the Ministry of Interior in Iraqi Kurdistan issued an order limiting movement in the region due to COVID-19, the order exempted large humanitarian international service providers such as the UN, but not local civil society organizations, which assist in providing aid to local populations. As a result, the supply chains for aid delivery have been disrupted.