Small Arms Survey
Public Perceptions of Small Arms and Light Weapons and Community Security in the Middle East
What do young people in Gaza and the West Bank, Lebanon, and Sudan think about the role of guns and their effect on community security? AFSC staff recently supported the first ever research to lift up the voices of ordinary young people in the Arab world regarding how they experience human insecurity. The study’s findings could provide the basis and legitimacy for government and civil society efforts to address the widening misuse of small arms and light weapons in the region.
Download the report
(PDF 5.42 KB)
Findings from the report
Who was interviewed
The report is based on interviews with focus groups of people aged 20-35 living in gun-affected communities in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Khartoum (Sudan). The results challenge the common belief that people in the Middle East generally accept guns as a normal part of life.
Young people want gun control
Over 80% of young people in gun-affected communities in the Middle East want stricter state controls on private gun ownership.
Too many guns
In Gaza, Lebanon and Sudan, over 50% of respondents would not choose to own a gun, with the most common reason being that guns are dangerous for the family. In the West Bank, while over 40% of people would choose to own a gun, 60% nonetheless believe there are too many guns in their society.
The report was conducted by the Middle East North Africa Action Network on Small Arms (MENAANSA).
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