This study explores how cash-for-work (CfW) programs can alleviate pressures on communities hosting refugees, particularly in Jordan. Based on interviews and surveys, it highlights positive community impacts beyond direct employment, while noting challenges in sustaining benefits and changing gender roles. Recommendations for policymakers are provided.
After independence, MENA countries relied on energy and food subsidies to reduce poverty and bolster legitimacy. As these became unsustainable, reforms faced challenges due to potential government delegitimization. This paper analyzes subsidy reforms in Morocco, Egypt, and Iran from 2010-2017, highlighting distinct strategies and their impacts on social contracts. Morocco engaged in dialogue and preserved its social contract, while Egypt's radical dismantling led to repression and a shift to a protection pact. Iran's cash transfer scheme created a more inclusive contract despite challenges. Lessons from these reforms are vital for post-COVID-19 recovery strategies.