A man walks past buildings damaged by war in Taez, Yemen. Reuters
A man walks past buildings damaged by war in Taez, Yemen. Reuters
A man walks past buildings damaged by war in Taez, Yemen. Reuters
A man walks past buildings damaged by war in Taez, Yemen. Reuters

Gulf

Yemen's Houthis say they will reopen two Taez roads

Group says it has agreed to open two roads in 'first phase' of an operation

Nada AlTaher
Nada AlTaher

June 23, 2022

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  • Arabic

Yemen's Houthi rebels say they have agreed to reopen two roads around the city of Taez, the group's Saba news agency reported on Thursday.

The militant group said it had submitted “notes” to the UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, confirming the decision to reopen the Salleh road to Sanaa and roads between Lahej and Aden.

The UN special envoy's office could not immediately be reached to confirm the claim.

Saba news, quoting an unindentified military source, said the Houthis would reopen the two roads “immediately” in the “first phase” of an operation.

“After the first phase is complete, the committees will continue UN-sponsored talks to commence the reopening of the remaining roads, according to what is agreed upon,” the Houthis said.

A UN-brokered nationwide truce, which was renewed this month, stipulates that the Houthis would reopen roads around Taez — which has been under a lengthy siege by the group.

But a Yemeni diplomatic source told The National that the proposed roads agreed to by the Houthis will only "alleviate the suffering of the people of Taez by 10 per cent", due to their relatively small size.

UN humanitarian co-ordinator to Yemen David Gressly told The National last week that access to the roads will allow people to return home and make aid more accessible.

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg held talks with Houthi officials on reopening routes to the blockaded city of Taez. EPA
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg held talks with Houthi officials on reopening routes to the blockaded city of Taez. EPA

The conflict has forced millions of Yemenis from their homes and made 70 per cent of the population reliant on aid in what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The UN special envoy's second visit to Sanaa since he took over the role in September centred on the issue of Taez, one of the most problematic issues between the warring sides.

Under the truce, Sanaa International Airport resumed flights to Amman and Cairo for the first time since it closed six years ago, providing much-needed relief for Yemenis seeking medical treatment abroad.

US special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking told The National on Sunday that he hopes the temporary truce will turn into a ceasefire before August 2.

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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.”

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No more lice

Defining head lice

Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.

Identifying lice

Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.

Treating lice at home

Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.

Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital

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What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

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Warn others to prevent further harm

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Managing the separation process

  • Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
  • Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
  • Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
  • If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
  • The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
  • Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
  • Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.  
Updated: June 23, 2022, 9:14 PM
YemenHouthis