• Unemployment is also forecasted to rise sharply in 2021 in the region, especially in Jordan (20.5 percent), and Iran (14.4 percent). • Currency devaluation in Lebanon and Syria are the highest in the region, followed by Sudan, Iran, and Libya. • Remittances are expected to decline in Europe and Central Asia by 28 percent in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in addition to the lower oil prices. • National policies on taxation of sugary drinks, nutrition labelling, and non-communicable diseases (NCD)-specific are existent only in Armenia, Egypt, and Tunisia, and completely non-existent in Jordan, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, and Yemen. • Compared to men, women experience higher psychological distress due to COVID-19 as women face gender disparities when accessing quality health care.

Source: The North Africa Journal September 17, 2020 12:22 UTC