The present study is one of three volumes in a series entitled Challenge and Response in Internal Conflict. The series contains descriptive and analytical accounts covering a total of 57 cases of insurgency and counterinsurgency occurring in the 20th century. The three volumes are individually entitled The Experience in Asia (19 cases), The Experience in Europe and the Middle East (18 cases), and The Experience in Africa and Latin America (20 cases). The purpose of the project was to enlarge the body of knowledge about insurgency and especially counterinsurgency by empirical study of actual historical cases. From a sample of about 150 cases, 57 were selected according to criteria governing time, definition, occurrence of military operations, analogy, and feasibility. Persons of academic and professional background were then selected to study individual cases according to a standardized methodology (described in the Technical Appendix). The individual studies were written in a format covering background, insurgency, counterinsurgency, and outcome and conclusions, followed by notes and bibliographic material. The studies have been grouped geographically in three volumes to form casebooks on the subject of internal conflict. In addition, the cases now published plus some further materials collected during their preparation form a data bank for the further analysis of insurgency and counterinsurgency.

The study is one of three volumes in a series entitled Challenge and Response in Internal Conflict. The series contains descriptive and analytical accounts covering a total of 57 cases of insurgency and counterinsurgency occurring in the 20th century. The three volumes are individually entitled The Experience in Asia, The Experience in Europe and the Middle East, and The Experience in Africa and Latin America. The purpose of the project was to enlarge the body of knowledge about insurgency and especially counterinsurgency by empirical study of actual historical cases. From a sample of about 150 cases, 57 were selected according to criteria governing time, definition, occurrence of military operations, analogy, and feasibility. Persons of academic and professional background were then selected to study individual cases according to a standardized methodology. The individual studies were written in a format covering background, insurgency, counterinsurgency, and outcome and conclusions, followed by notes and bibliographic material. The studies have been grouped geographically in three volumes to form casebooks on the subject of internal conflict. In addition, the cases now published plus some further materials collected during their preparation form a data bank for the further analysis of insurgency and counterinsurgency.

In recent decades, the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) has experienced more frequent and severe conflicts than in any other region of the world, exacting a devastating human toll. The region now faces unprecedented challenges, including the emergence of violent non-state actors, significant destruction, and a refugee crisis bigger than any since World War II. This paper raises awareness of the economic costs of conflicts on the countries directly involved and on their neighbors. It argues that appropriate macroeconomic policies can help mitigate the impact of conflicts in the short term, and that fostering higher and more inclusive growth can help address some of the root causes of conflicts over the long term. The paper also highlights the crucial role of external partners, including the IMF, in helping MENA countries tackle these challenges.