ESCWA in the News اإلسكوا في اإلعالم Launch of Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region 2015-2016 (10 November 2016) 1. Reuters: Arab Spring has cost region 6 pct of GDP-UN agency 2. BBC: Arab Spring cost region $600bn in lost growth, UN says 3. The Telegraph: The Arab Spring cost the region over $600bn in lost growth, says UN 4. Al Jazeera: ESCWA: Arab Spring cost Middle East economies $600bn 5. Kuwait News Agency (KUNA): ESCWA says unrest curbs growth, stability in Arab region
News Sport Weather Shop Earth Travel Arab Spring 'cost region $600bn' in lost growth, UN says 5 hours ago Middle East AP The Arab Spring protest movement has cost the region $614 billion in lost growth since 2011, the UN says. The estimate is the first of its kind by a major economic body. It is equivalent to 6% of the region's total GDP between 2011 and 2015, the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) says. The uprisings, which started in Tunisia, saw leaders toppled in four countries, and led to war in Libya, Syria and Yemen. ESCWA used growth projections made before the uprisings to calculate its figure. It included countries not directly affected by political conflict but subject to spill-over effects from it, include refugee arrivals, lost remittances and falls in tourism. In Syria, where anti-government protests spiralled into a messy civil war that now involves various foreign powers, GDP and capital losses are equal to $259 billion since 2011, according to ESCWA's National Agenda for the Future of Syria.
In countries where political transitions have occurred, new governments have not made economic reforms required to address "the issues that led to unrest in the first place", the report says. Share this story About sharing More on this story Tunisia protests: President vows to end 'ordeal' of unemployed 22 January 2016 How Tunisia is keeping Arab Spring ideals alive 12 October 2015 Why is Libya so lawless? 14 September 2016 Egypt's revolutionaries - where are they now? 25 January 2016 Middle East Food aid runs out in rebel-held Aleppo 10 November 2016 Middle East
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Home About Kuna Advertise Contact Us Kuna's Bureaus Services Term Of Use Register Login Make us your home page 11 November 2016 05:42 AM صفر 11 1438 English عربي NEWS GEOGRAPHICAL NEWS KUNA ARCHIVE TODAY'S NEWS PICTURES (DURING THE WEEK) Military Science & Technology Security Human Diwan Government Transport YEAREND ICUL.90 pb Turkish forces arrest 19 IS militant, 29 PKK members Demand growth easing as oil supply continues to edge up - IEA Tokyo stocks mark biggest gain in over one year 10/11/2016 ESCWA says unrest curbs growth, stability in Arab region LOC22:57 19:57 GMT Arab News Economics BEIRUT, Nov 10 (KUNA) -- The cumulative effects of the economic and political uncertainty in the Arab region continue to impede its prospects for growth and stability, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said in a report on Thursday. Director of ESCWA Economic Development and Integration Division Mohamed El-Mokhtar Mohammad El- Hassan added that the economic growth is semi-stopped as a result of the economic and political uncertainty in the region. He noted that the drop in oil prices has increased burdens on regional economy and imposed restrictions on growth in countries which depend on energy exports. The average growth rate of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Arab region in real terms for 2015 has been estimated at 0.9 percent and expected to reach 1.5 percent in 2016, he said. He expected that the slow economic growth of GCC member states will continue due to the continued cut in general spending. The growth rate of the GDP of GCC states dropped by 3.4 percent in 2014 and 3 percent in 2015, he said, indicating that it is anticipated to hit 2.1 percent in 2016. Some Arab countries will witness a slow economic growth because of some geopolitical factors, a little demand from China and Europe and imposing restrictions on balance of payments, he said. Meanwhile, Chief of ESCWA Modeling and Forecasting Section (MFS) Mohamed Hedi Bchir said the loss of the Arab region resulted from the economic and political unrest reached USD 614 billion of GDP. At least 7.6 million people have been internally displaced in Syria and more than four million others fled the country, while about 130,000 people have been displaced in Yemen and about 434,000 in Libya by the end of 2015, he stated. At least 470,000 Syrians had been killed as a result of the conflict and the loss ranged between USD 169-259 million, he added. The unemployment rate rose in Syria from 15 percent in 2011 to 48 percent in 2014, and more than 80 percent of Syrians are living below poverty line, he said. Nathalie Khaled, an official of economic affairs, said that women in the Arab region have been suffering from inequality on all levels. Women political representation rose from 14 percent in 2015 to 17.5 percent in 2016, Tunisian, Algerian and Sudanese women topped the rankings in this regard, she revealed. She called for exerting further efforts to increase jobs for women, and improve social protection systems and labor laws. (end) wsm.hm Email Save Share Tweet Share Tweets by @kuna_en kuna @kuna_en Briefing of KUNA main news for Thursday until 00:00 GMT kuna.net.kw/articledetails 2h Embed View on Twitter News Brief WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama is "encouraged" by his meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. more WASHINGTON - The US designates Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham a foreign terrorist group and an alias of Al- Nusrah Front. more KUWAIT - Four parliamentary hopefuls quit the electoral race. more