Natasha Hall

Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Natasha Hall

Natasha is a senior fellow with the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Natasha has over 15 years of experience as an analyst, researcher, and practitioner in complex humanitarian emergencies and conflict-affected areas with a specialty in the Middle East. Most recently, she has worked on the Syrian conflict with The Shaikh Group, GIZ, Mayday Rescue, Center for Civilians in Conflict, and the U.S. government’s Refugee Affairs Division. She has lived and worked in over 15 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Southern Caucasus, and Europe. Her work has focused on conflict resolution, governance, displacement, environmental issues, resilience, and civilian protection. Her reports have spurred congressional hearings and high-level donor responses on Syria. As a director with Mayday Rescue, she led these responses, working with the White Helmets to reinforce critical civilian infrastructure and protect civilians from explosive weapons and other consequences of the war. She is a commentator and contributor for a number of media outlets and think tanks, including CNN, BBC, and MSNBC. She has written articles and in-depth analyses for the Washington Post, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, the Atlantic Council, the United States Institute for Peace, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among others. Natasha is also the founder of Art in Exile. She earned her master’s from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and her B.A. from the University of Virginia in foreign affairs and Middle East studies. She did a Fulbright Fellowship in Jordan from 2006-2007 and a Boren Fellowship in Syria in 2010.

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Babel: Translating the Middle East

Peter Schwartzstein: Climate Violence in the Middle East

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Peter Schwartzstein, an environmental journalist who reports on water, food security, and the conflict-climate nexus in around 30 countries, mainly in the Middle East and Africa. Together, they discuss Mr. Schwartzstein's new book, The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence, as well as the outlook for climate adaptation in the Middle East, and the ways in which environmental initiatives can build peace in the region. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, Will Todman, and Leah Hickert — October 1, 2024

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hussein Ibish: Popular Mobilization Since October 7

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, a columnist for The National, and a regular contributor to The Atlantic. Together, they discuss popular mobilization across the Middle East since October 7th and what it indicates about regional politics. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert to discuss why some regimes chose to co-opt rather than suppress protest movements, and the ways in which the Arab world’s protests over Gaza differ from those in the past.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — September 18, 2024

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Michelle Nunn: The Challenges of Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Michelle Nunn, the president and CEO of CARE. Michelle leads more than 8,000 people working around the world in crisis response, health and education access, gender equality, and climate change. Together, they discuss the unique challenges of Gaza's humanitarian crisis by contextualizing it among other global crises. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert to discuss how global attention on Gaza has affected the conflict and the humanitarian response, and whether sustained humanitarian engagement will translate into the “day after.”

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — August 20, 2024

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Karim Haggag: Egypt's Balancing Act

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ambassador Karim Haggag about Egypt's complicated relationships with Israel and Hamas and Egypt's likely role in Gaza's "day after."

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — July 9, 2024

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Lebanon's Dangerous Campaign against Refugees

Recently, the Lebanese government developed a plan to deport Syrian refugees who were not registered with the United Nations, which accounts for almost half of all refugees in Lebanon. Although Lebanon’s sovereignty is important, so are its humanitarian obligations and its role in regional security. A new Analysis from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode by Natasha Hall, Will Todman, and Mennah Abdelwahab — June 18, 2024

CSIS Babel

Lebanon’s Dangerous Campaign against Refugees

Surging anti-refugee rhetoric in Lebanon could spiral into further regional violence and outward migration. To prevent a conflict, the EU and the U.S. must step up resettlement efforts and condition their aid to Lebanon to stop forced deportations and growing violence.

Commentary by Natasha Hall and Will Todman — June 4, 2024

Audio Briefs

Lebanon’s Dangerous Campaign against Refugees

An audio version of “Lebanon’s Dangerous Campaign against Refugees,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Natasha Hall and Will Todman. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Natasha Hall and Will Todman — June 4, 2024

Audio Briefs
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Sanam Vakil: Iran's Trajectory after Raisi

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Sanam Vakil about the fallout from President Raisi’s death, how Gulf states are likely to react, and the feasibility of U.S. policy options going forward. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Leah Hickert to discuss what’s next for Iranian foreign policy and what opportunities there are for the United States.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — May 29, 2024

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hans Grundberg: Mediation in Yemen

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hans Grundberg, the United Nations' special envoy of the secretary-general for Yemen. They discuss what a UN mediator does, why successful mediation is about more than just reaching a peace agreement, and how the internationalization of conflicts complicates mediation. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — April 30, 2024

CSIS Babel