North Korea’s Humanitarian Crisis, Pandemic Evictions, and More

A transformative energy deal for the Middle East, the U.S. households at risk of eviction, and North Korea's suffering citizens.

View in browser November 29, 2021 North Korea is addressing the pandemic in its 'style.' That means leaving a lot of people hungry.   Although recent missile tests and the regime's claim of zero coronavirus cases suggest business as usual in North Korea, the country now faces a major humanitarian crisis. Andrew Yeo analyzes the state of trade, the economy, and food security in the country and whether the crisis could precipitate change.   Read more The destabilizing cost of a pandemic: What COVID-19 meant for renters already getting assistance   To make the most of the Build Back Better Act and other state-level funding, U.S. policymakers must know which households have been most vulnerable to eviction over the course of the pandemic. According to a new analysis by Sophia R. Fox-Dichter, Yung Chun, and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, low-income households already getting federal support may face a higher risk than those who receive no social benefits.   Read more Israel, Jordan, and the UAE's energy deal is good news   Last week, Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed Israel and Jordan's biggest energy and water deal since the neighbors made peace 27 years ago. Bruce Riedel and Natan Sachs explain how the agreement came to be and why it would be diplomatically transformative for the region.   Read more Help support Brookings with a donation   Brookings is committed to making its high-quality, independent policy research free to the public. Please consider making a contribution today to our Annual Fund to support our experts' work. The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars. The Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Unsubscribe Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often