The Effects of UN Covid-19 Aid on its Reputation in the MENA Region

• In Event: Complexities of International Cooperation and Law

Abstract

This article explores the effect of the UN’s emergency Covid-19 aid on its organizational reputation in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region – the most prominent aid recipient under this scheme. States in this region have traditionally been highly critical of the UN, perceiving it as a representative of the Western and colonial order. We argue that Covid-19 presented an opportunity for the UN to reinforce its reputation in the region, and that the likelihood of reputational gains is expected to rise with the distribution of these funds – in spite of historical grievances. We perform an original online survey among the three MENA states that received the most UN Covid-19 funds – Syria, Sudan and Yemen, where reliable data is particularly difficult to attain. Our results corroborate the strong effect of UN aid on the perception of reality in these countries. However, respondents strongly believed that the UN’s Covid-19 policy will not have a long-lasting effect on the organization’s approach – hampering the chances to translate positive public opinion into enduring reputational gains. Short-term favorable views underline the local governments' incapacity to meet the challenges of the crisis and reflect an increase in immediate survival considerations, driving reliance on humanitarian aid.

Authors

• Eyal Rubinson, Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University

• Gadi Hitman