• A man wearing a facemask in Dubai in April 2020, shortly after the first outbreak. Pawan Singh / The National
    A man wearing a facemask in Dubai in April 2020, shortly after the first outbreak. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Staff from the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conduct searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, at the start of the outbreak on January 11, 2020. AFP
    Staff from the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conduct searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, at the start of the outbreak on January 11, 2020. AFP
  • A security guard sits outside the closed Huanan market in Wuhan, Hubei province. Getty Images
    A security guard sits outside the closed Huanan market in Wuhan, Hubei province. Getty Images
  • A notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita Airport, Japan, in January 2020. EPA
    A notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita Airport, Japan, in January 2020. EPA
  • An empty Times Square after a coronavirus lockdown was ordered in New York City, March 18, 2020. Reuters
    An empty Times Square after a coronavirus lockdown was ordered in New York City, March 18, 2020. Reuters
  • A nurse wearing PPE comforts another as they change shifts on March 13, 2020 at Cremona Hospital, north-eastern Italy. AFP
    A nurse wearing PPE comforts another as they change shifts on March 13, 2020 at Cremona Hospital, north-eastern Italy. AFP
  • Sanitation workers from Tadweer on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign in March 2020. Victor Besa / The National
    Sanitation workers from Tadweer on the first day of the UAE cleaning campaign in March 2020. Victor Besa / The National
  • The pedestrian crossing on Hamdan and Fatima Bint Mubarak Street is sprayed on March 27, 2020. Victor Besa / The National
    The pedestrian crossing on Hamdan and Fatima Bint Mubarak Street is sprayed on March 27, 2020. Victor Besa / The National
  • A commuter enters the sterilisation area at the entrance of the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Terminal in March 2020. Victor Besa / The National
    A commuter enters the sterilisation area at the entrance of the Abu Dhabi Central Bus Terminal in March 2020. Victor Besa / The National
  • Travellers returning to Kuwait from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon arrive to be re-tested at a containment and screening zone in Kuwait City on March 16, 2020. AFP
    Travellers returning to Kuwait from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon arrive to be re-tested at a containment and screening zone in Kuwait City on March 16, 2020. AFP
  • Al Wadha Mall in Abu Dhabi reopens in May 2020 with measures in place to protect shoppers. Victor Besa / The National
    Al Wadha Mall in Abu Dhabi reopens in May 2020 with measures in place to protect shoppers. Victor Besa / The National
  • Safety reminders at Dubai International Airport after the resumption of scheduled operations by Emirates on May 22, 2020. AFP
    Safety reminders at Dubai International Airport after the resumption of scheduled operations by Emirates on May 22, 2020. AFP
  • A delivery driver wearing a face mask in downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    A delivery driver wearing a face mask in downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • Passengers of an Emirates flight prepare to board a plan to Sydney at Dubai International Airport. AFP
    Passengers of an Emirates flight prepare to board a plan to Sydney at Dubai International Airport. AFP
  • Systems put in place at a supermarket in Dubai to slow the spread of the coronavirus. AFP
    Systems put in place at a supermarket in Dubai to slow the spread of the coronavirus. AFP

Three years on, what is the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic?


Daniel Bardsley
  • English
  • Arabic

January 9 will mark three years since the first death in China from Covid-19 — and since then millions more have died.

The coronavirus spread quickly across the globe after emerging in Wuhan and within a few months was causing tens of thousands of deaths each week.

The official toll stands at more than 6.6 million and the virus continues to kill thousands of people each week.

But current circumstances are much improved.

There are things we can take from the pandemic that will help us understand infectious diseases and reduce the risk of severe diseases in the future
Prof Paul Hunter,
University of East Anglia

Most societies that imposed lockdowns have opened up and, from around the second quarter of last year onwards, the global death rate has been stable and much lower than during most of the previous two years, even if Covid hospital admissions continue to put healthcare systems under strain.

China is a notable exception, with the country’s recent opening up after three years of tight restrictions causing cases, and possibly deaths, to surge.

Outside China, many populations are now less at risk than at the start of the pandemic.

Increased immunity

About 69.1 per cent of the world's population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to OurWorldinData, and 13.18 billion doses have been administered in total.

On top of that, the 657 million cases of Covid-19 to date — according to official figures, which are likely to heavily underestimate the real number — mean that much of the world’s population has immunity from prior infection.

  • New research shows that a patient's Covid-19 symptoms can depend on what vaccinations they have received. Getty
    New research shows that a patient's Covid-19 symptoms can depend on what vaccinations they have received. Getty
  • Fully vaccinated people most commonly reported a sore throat, persistent cough, runny or blocked nose and headaches. Getty
    Fully vaccinated people most commonly reported a sore throat, persistent cough, runny or blocked nose and headaches. Getty
  • The study also indicated a decline in reports of shortness of breath and loss of taste and smell. Those were two key symptoms in the early stage of the pandemic. Photo: Getty
    The study also indicated a decline in reports of shortness of breath and loss of taste and smell. Those were two key symptoms in the early stage of the pandemic. Photo: Getty
  • In the early stage of the pandemic, breathing difficulty was a common Covid symptom. Photo: UCL
    In the early stage of the pandemic, breathing difficulty was a common Covid symptom. Photo: UCL

In Europe, for example, people "still have some background immunity" that provides protection, according to Prof Eskild Petersen, of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and chairman of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

"If you envisage an entirely different virus with higher pathogenicity, it would have to be very different not to be covered by the immunity now," he said.

"If you have high vaccine coverage — three or four doses — you are very, very well protected and you will have a certain number of people with further immunity from natural infection. That’s the difference from spring 2020, when nobody had any immunity."

Coupled with that, Covid-19 is widely seen to have become less virulent thanks to the easily transmitted but milder Omicron strain and related variants, which are responsible for most infections now.

"Gradually, since the appearance of Omicron, the severity has got a lot less than even a year ago," said Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia in the UK.

"We’re not seeing nearly as many admissions to hospitals or people in intensive care beds. Now it’s less severe than flu. If you catch Covid, you’re less likely to die than with flu."

Better prepared

With the world emerging from what is often seen as the worst pandemic for a century, many researchers hope there will be better preparations for the next emergence of a new disease.

The last major pandemic of a scale comparable to Covid-19 involved Spanish flu and began in 1918, but it is unlikely, said John Oxford, emeritus professor of virology at the University of London, that it will be another century before the world faces something similar.

  • People stand outside a funeral home in Shanghai, as cases of Covid-19 surge in China. Reuters
    People stand outside a funeral home in Shanghai, as cases of Covid-19 surge in China. Reuters
  • Relatives burn paper offerings for a relative who died, at the Gaobeidian Funeral Home in northern China's Hebei province. AP
    Relatives burn paper offerings for a relative who died, at the Gaobeidian Funeral Home in northern China's Hebei province. AP
  • A worker disinfects a bed in the emergency department of a hospital in Baigou, Hebei province. AP
    A worker disinfects a bed in the emergency department of a hospital in Baigou, Hebei province. AP
  • Cities across the country have struggled to cope as the surge in cases has emptied pharmacy shelves, filled hospital wards and appeared to cause backlogs at crematoriums and funeral homes. AP
    Cities across the country have struggled to cope as the surge in cases has emptied pharmacy shelves, filled hospital wards and appeared to cause backlogs at crematoriums and funeral homes. AP
  • It comes after China dismantled key pillars of its zero-Covid strategy. AP
    It comes after China dismantled key pillars of its zero-Covid strategy. AP
  • Authorities have lifted snap lockdowns, lengthy quarantines and travel curbs in a reversal of the country's hallmark containment strategy. Reuters
    Authorities have lifted snap lockdowns, lengthy quarantines and travel curbs in a reversal of the country's hallmark containment strategy. Reuters
  • Relatives attend to a patient. AP
    Relatives attend to a patient. AP
  • People wait outside a fever clinic at a hospital in Shanghai. Reuters
    People wait outside a fever clinic at a hospital in Shanghai. Reuters

"It doesn’t have to be China, France or the US — it can happen anywhere," he said. "The key thing is to know it will happen again and to stockpile PPE [personal protective equipment].

"You have to have a plan and have someone guarding the plan. The plan must be updated and have a proper guardian to keep the finance coming in for it. It’s essential. It needs more than science to keep it marching along.

"All countries were begged by the World Health Organisation to get a plan. Some had three pages, some 150 pages."

The world is now, however, "biologically more sophisticated", with improved vaccination and monitoring capability, so is better able to react to pandemics, suggested David Taylor, emeritus professor of pharmaceutical and public health policy at University College London.

"We need to invest, but we don’t want to invest in old-style public health," he said. "We need intelligent biological surveillance … based on better understanding.

"We need leaner, sensible investment in high-level planning for pandemic possibilities, but remembering there are so many other things that could go wrong.

"We have global warming — unless we get energy and climate change sorted, that will almost certainly kill us in the next century … we have a real problem to sort."

Scientific advances

While the pandemic has left a legacy of suffering, death, societal upheaval and economic damage, it has helped accelerate scientific advancement.

There had been decades of work to develop messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, but it was not until Covid-19 that these were actually introduced to protect people from disease.

Writing in the journal Viruses last year, researchers said the pandemic had "opened the floodgates to mRNA vaccines’ potential in infectious disease prevention", with many animal as well as human diseases the focus of emerging vaccines.

Therapeutic mRNA vaccines for diseases such as cancer are also becoming a reality, with more clinical trials beginning.

The pandemic also led to the successful use of vaccines, such as the Oxford-AstraZeneca dose, that use a weakened chimpanzee adenovirus as a vector. This causes the cells of recipients to produce coronavirus spike proteins, leading to a protective immune response.

The pandemic has improved scientists’ wider understanding of viral illnesses, according to Prof Hunter, who said it has helped his own work on noroviruses which cause gastroenteritis.

"There are actually a lot of positive things that have come out of this pandemic in science," he said. "The downside is a lot of people have had to die for it. I would rather we had not had the pandemic and remained ignorant."

"But there are things we can take from the pandemic that will help us understand infectious diseases and help us reduce the risk of severe diseases in the future. And new vaccinations put together more quickly could have very wide implications.

"Because so much money and research has gone into it, we know things about Covid that we sort of knew about other infections, such as the duration of mucosal immunity [immunity in the moist inner lining of, for example, the nose and lungs] following infection and vaccination."

As to how the pandemic will continue to play out, Prof Hunter said he expected the coronavirus would continue to become less severe in its effects until it became another cause of the common cold. Other coronaviruses already cause about 10 to 15 per cent of colds.

That does not mean, however, that it will not carry on killing people, because, Prof Hunter noted, even the common cold can trigger chest infections, albeit less often than influenza does.

"I think over the next few years hospitalisations will become a lot less common and deaths a lot less common as well," he said.

NBA FINALS SO FAR

(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)

Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109

Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109

Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123

Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105

Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106

Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland

Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Oppenheimer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Nolan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Blunt%2C%20Robert%20Downey%20Jr%2C%20Florence%20Pugh%2C%20Matt%20Damon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadeera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERabih%20El%20Chaar%20and%20Reem%20Khattar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECleanTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHope%20Ventures%2C%20Rasameel%20Investments%20and%20support%20from%20accelerator%20programmes%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

Bahrain%20GP
%3Cp%3EFriday%20qualifying%3A%207pm%20(8pm%20UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ESaturday%20race%3A%207pm%20(UAE)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETV%3A%20BeIN%20Sports%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 571bhp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh431,800

Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor

Transmission: 2-speed auto

Power: 455bhp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: from Dh431,800

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL

Al Nasr 2

(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)

Shabab Al Ahli 1

(Jaber 13)

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday (UAE kick-off times)

Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)

Sunday

Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)

Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
Match info

Arsenal 0

Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')

Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

In Praise of Zayed

A thousand grains of Sand whirl in the sky
To mark the journey of one passer-by
If then a Cavalcade disturbs the scene,
Shall such grains sing before they start to fly?

What man of Honour, and to Honour bred
Will fear to go wherever Truth has led?
For though a Thousand urge him to retreat
He'll laugh, until such counsellors have fled.

Stands always One, defiant and alone
Against the Many, when all Hope has flown.
Then comes the Test; and only then the time
Of reckoning what each can call his own.

History will not forget: that one small Seed
Sufficed to tip the Scales in time of need.
More than a debt, the Emirates owe to Zayed
Their very Souls, from outside influence freed.
No praise from Roderic can increase his Fame.
Steadfastness was the Essence of his name.
The changing years grow Gardens in the Sand
And build new Roads to Sand which stays the same.
But Hearts are not rebuilt, nor Seed resown.
What was, remains, essentially Alone.
Until the Golden Messenger, all-wise,
Calls out: "Come now, my Friend!" - and All is known

- Roderic Fenwick Owen

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Updated: January 09, 2023, 3:00 AM