Steven A. Zyck

Steven A. Zyck is a specialist in conflict and post-crisis recovery with a particular focus on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. He is currently a Research Fellow with the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute in London and the Editor of Stability: International Journal of Security & Development. Steven regularly consults for UN agencies, bilateral aid agencies, the World Bank, NATO and other organisations.

What if the Saudis win? Avoiding massive sectarian bloodshed in Yemen

Saudis won’t pull the triggers – AQAP, IS and various Sunni militias will do that – but they and their Sunni and American allies will be politically and morally culpable.

By Steven A. Zyck

/ 11 Apr 2015

Crisis in Yemen: what the media is getting wrong

It is important to stop perpetuating misconceptions about the current crisis (i.e., that it’s a sectarian conflict or proxy war among Iran and Saudi Arabia) that make for a good – albeit largely unfounded – story.

By Steven A. Zyck

/ 28 Jan 2015

Pakistan’s democracy on the rocks

Just when many thought Pakistan was finally on the trajectory towards a functioning democratic system, unrest broke out in a number of cities and provided a stark reminder just how fragile the country’s politics remain.

By Steven A. Zyck and Maryam Mohsin

/ 8 Sep 2014

The long road to retaliation: delayed airstrikes in Syria will exacerbate the regional refugee crisis

Rapid, punitive airstrikes two and a half weeks ago, while certainly displacing some Syrians, would have been less likely to lead to larger numbers of refugees.

By Steven A. Zyck

/ 9 Sep 2013

Al-Shabaab’s theft: humanitarian and security implications

The theft of UK aid in Somalia by the militant group al-Shabaab risks provoking a set of reactionary responses. The humanitarian community must remain committed to addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.

By Steven A. Zyck

/ 15 Aug 2013

Secessionists and sectarianism: Yemen’s more combustible security crises

In Yemen, there are far more significant sources of conflict with a far greater potential for escalation and loss of life than imminent terrorist attacks by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

By Steven A. Zyck

/ 8 Aug 2013

A chronology of crisis in the Sahel

Awareness has not necessarily translated into more investment in good governance or poverty-reduction programmes. Instead, the US has supported training of local special forces units in counter-terrorism.

By Robert Muggah and Steven A. Zyck

/ 19 Jun 2013

The beginning of the end for Hezbollah? Nasrallah’s strategic mistake

When the Assad regime is ultimately defeated, Hezbollah will have lost the majority of its military hardware, a significant portion of its forces, and its political clout in Lebanon.

By Steven A. Zyck

/ 4 Jun 2013