#Jordan was initially lauded for containing COVID-19 effectively with a complete lockdown that kept cases shockingly low, but the government struggled to manage the economic fallout.
As the pandemic continued to decimate the country’s tourism sector, unemployment rose to 25%, remittances declined, & Jordanians could barely make ends meet, protests ensued in several cities (Graph below shows Jordan leading in COVID cases & deaths across MENA by end of March)
The near-breaking point came on March 13 at a hospital in Al-Salt, where oxygen was cut to a COVID recovery ward, causing the death of eight patients. Protests erupted outside the hospital, with angry family and community members chanting anti-government slogans. https://twitter.com/ali_reports/status/1371567743602941964
But months before the pandemic even peaked in #Jordan, large-scale protests erupted around the country, led by teachers ( #مع_المعلم). The country’s largest and most well-known syndicate was abruptly shut down, its leadership arrested, and its supporters beaten and threatened.
Prince Hamzah touched a sensitive nerve. His appeal to the Jordanian public and ability to listen to their concerns during a difficult time for the country may have worried the king’s advisors. But his words did not initiate or inspire calls for reform in Jordan.
The gov response, including the King’s statement, stopped short of addressing accusations of corruption, or validating Jordanian frustrations that had been boiling over the past several months.
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