"COVID-19 in Kuwait: how urban planning and divisive policies helped the virus spread," 16 Sep 2020

Overcrowding and poor service provision coupled with limited transport options and discriminatory residency requirements are some of the inequalities that have been amplified by COVID-19.

Housing and urban planning policies in Kuwait have long neglected male, low-income migrant workers...

in the 99% non-Kuwaiti district Jleeb Alshuyoukh the population divided by the number of housing units produces an average of 16 people per unit... between six and 10 people occupy a room, while beds are rented in eight-hour shifts to multiple sleepers per day, amid unhygienic environments and sewage-filled streets.

This dire housing situation has been exacerbated by the onset of COVID-19. Social distancing and handwashing directives were undermined by overcrowding and limited incomes...

In Kuwait, the epidemic has exposed the failings of planning and housing policies that have long prioritised the needs of citizens over those of the migrant majority.