Research Library

The Middle East is in a new era of mass displacement, with millions uprooted after a year of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with a new front in Lebanon. In a recent commentary featured in The Conversation, Kelsey Norman and coauthor Nichols R. Micinski examine the long-lasting effects of the region’s humanitarian crisis, highlighting the urgent need for a ceasefire to enable displaced communities to return home and rebuild.

In response to the ongoing war in Gaza, the Houthi Red Sea campaign has caused significant economic disruptions — underscoring geopolitical shifts in the region. A new brief from the Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East and the Center for Energy Studies summarizes a conversation in which experts outline how the Houthi challenge has evolved over time and against the backdrop of Yemen’s ongoing conflicts.

President Biden’s announcement that the U.S. is preparing to open a maritime corridor to Gaza highlights a deteriorating relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attempts to address voter concerns ahead of the November election.

Yemen’s Houthi have mounted a selective counter-shipping campaign in the Red Sea that has disrupted global trade between Asia and Europe. In a new issue brief, fellow Jim Krane describes how the attacks have triggered major shipping delays and expenses for firms based in countries friendly to Israel — effectively acting as economic sanctions and demonstrating the power of a non-state actor to undermine global norms around freedom of navigation.

Fifty years after the 1973 oil embargo, Baker Institute Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East and Center for Energy Studies hosted a conference to examine lessons learned from the embargo and their renewed relevance for today’s energy crises. Featuring remarks from His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, the conference also included expert panels with industry leaders, other former policymakers, and academics.

In a new brief, contributing expert Robert Barron explores the first phase of the Israel-Hamas war and what stakeholders must consider for a viable pathway to peace.

In a new commentary, fellow Joe Barnes lays out the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war, including President Joe Biden’s careful response to attacks by Iran-backed groups in the region.

At least a dozen countries, including the U.S., have suspended funding to the United Nations agency that delivers aid to Palestinian refugees. The cuts fit a long-time pattern of the politicization of refugee aid, write Nicholas R. Micinski and Kelsey Norman.