The difficulties faced by many refugee communities, and communities across the Middle East, are only worsened by the spread of Coronavirus.  

Humanity cannot fail Gaza yet again

By Chris Doyle
Published in Arab News, 23 March 2020
 

The coronavirus has just found another fertile environment. For weeks, the 2 million Palestinians crammed into Gaza have hoped and prayed that the virus would not breach the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of this Eastern Mediterranean open-air prison. Those days are over.

Caabu offices closed due to Coronavirus

Dear Members and supporters,

We hope that you and your loved ones are all safe and are able to cope in these difficult times.

The Arab-British Centre has closed as of Wednesday 18 March so Caabu will not be holding any events until further notice.  Parliament has also wisely imposed restrictions on external visitors as well.

Endgame in Idlib? Prospects for the ceasefire and stability in Syria

Paper for Trends Research by Chris Doyle, March 2020

Many observers believe that the battle over north-west Syria represents the endgame of the conflict in the embattled country. They argue that once the regime recaptures these last areas outside of its control, opposition to its rule will evaporate and Syria will revert to the authoritarian system that existed before 2011.

Vermin get treated better than refugees fleeing to Europe

Article by Chris Doyle, first published in Arab News 9 March 2020

In the Middle East’s regional power games, the Syrian regime has deployed 11 million as weapons; Turkey has deployed about 4 million. These weapons are not bullets or shells. They are refugees and displaced people; human beings who have lost pretty much everything. All too often they find themselves forced on to the front lines of the regional great game.

NGOs meet with new Foreign Office Minister, James Cleverly
5 March 2020

A platform of aid agencies and NGOs including Caabu who work with Palestinians met with the new British Foreign Office Minsiter responsible for the Middle East James Cleverly on 5 March 2020.  Caabu Director, Chris Doyle, chaired the session, which discussed key issues affecting Palestinian lives including the threat of annexation, settlement expansion, international law, the situation facing Palestinians in Gaza as well as the shrinking space for civil society groups working on this issue. 

50 former foreign ministers and leaders from across Europe express grave concern about US plan to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict

Former UK Ambassador to Libya Peter Millett addresses Caabu meeting on the latest in the country

26 February 2020

At a Caabu Parliamentary briefing, Peter Millett outlines the current challenges in Libya and what the UK should be doing going forward.  

Caabu Director, Chris Doyle discusses the humanitarian catastrophe in Idlib, Syria on Al Jazeera English
11 February 2020

An update from Caabu's Education Officer, Hana Mohamed

In the past month, Caabu’s education team have delivered 10 school talks/workshops to over 1000 students. We’ve discussed topics such as multiculturalism and Islamophobia in Britain, an Introduction to the Arab World, Images from the Middle East and Israel-Palestine.