After the latest Gaza war, the international community needs to engage in concerted efforts to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process, UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on Tuesday.
It must help to break the cycle of violence for good, he told The National.
“We have to show to the people that there can be a different future than the one to just expect the fifth round of a deadly conflict,” he said.
“I genuinely believe that providing humanitarian assistance will not be enough to prevent a new cycle of violence in Gaza.”
The head of the UN agency for Palestinians was on the ground in Gaza as soon as the ceasefire halted 11 days of rocket fire and air strikes on May 21 to assess the damage and look at deploying emergency assistance.
The fourth conflict between Hamas and Israel since 2006 left at least 248 dead in Gaza – mostly civilians including at least 66 children – and 12 dead in Israel, including two children.
“I have really been struck by how deeply, deeply shaken the people in Gaza have been after this 11 days of bombardment – they all basically described hell on earth and they were eloquently expressing their constant, gripping fear during these 11 days of relentless bombardment,” he said.
“All the people I met – whether the staff at the hospital or in the camps or in the schools – we're all having stories about how they were handling this feeling of terror. [They were] constantly wondering if they would survive, constantly wondering if their children would survive, people trying to … make this kind of choices at night, whether they should all sleep together or if they should be scattered,” Mr Lazzarini added.
Mr Lazzarini said the agency’s 13,000 Palestinian staff in Gaza were working to get the provision of government level services from education to healthcare to basic provisions running again as quickly as possible.
During the conflict, more than 70,000 people displaced from their homes by the fighting sought refuge in UNRWA schools in the strip. Only a few hundred whose homes were damaged or are unable to go back remain but Mr Lazzarini said that work was needed to turn spaces back into classrooms and get children back to school before the summer holiday.
“In Gaza, we have multiple priorities right now – the damage assessment has to go ahead and we have also to prepare our school to allow kids to come back. … The Covid response will be a top priority also and the assessment of the damages on the shelters and home of the Palestinian refugees.”
UNRWA will also try, Mr Lazzarini said, to provide “psychosocial support, not only to the population, and to the refugees, but also to our 13,000 staff who will also play an important role in supporting the community.”
Mr Lazzarini also warned that even as the focus was on the immediacy of the war, Covid-19 remained “omnipresent” in Gaza while a new surge in cases was likely with both prevention measures and vaccinations “put on hold”.
Gaza’s lab to processes PCR tests is operational again after being damaged in the fighting, Mr Lazzarini said, but time would tell if the displacement centres and people sheltering from air strikes led to super spreader events.
“We need to increase the availability and the accessibility of vaccine in the Gaza Strip … There is no doubt the vaccination coverage right now is far too low, to prevent the new surges of Covid,” he said.
For years, UNRWA has faced an acute shortage of funds to run day-to-day operations for Palestinians not just in Gaza and the West Bank but across the Middle East.
Mr Lazzarini said that the financial situation today was better than just a few months ago when basic salaries were at risk and an emergency appeal is looking to fill the gap from the new acute needs.
“The backbone of UNRWA is our staff – our health workers, our doctors, our teacher, our engineers. So, whenever there is an emergency, they are our front-liners, hence the importance to have our core budget fully supported,” he said.
“Then, obviously, in emergencies like this one, you have additional order needs emerging – we were talking about the psychosocial support, we were talking about shelter and houses being damaged. Palestine refugees having lost their livelihood, all this needs to be restored,” he said.
“It goes two-prong – the importance of fully funding our core budget so that … our assets (being primarily our human resources) can continue to play this front-line role and after that this emergency appeal came out to cover the additional needs triggered by this last cycle of violence.”
Mr Lazzarini said that the agency is still assessing the reconstruction needs in the strip, with early assessments expected later this week, and there is no word yet on a dedicated emergency donor summit.
But, he said, there are “already a number of countries indicating the willingness to support the appeal of UNRWA”.
Israel has been clear that it wants to ensure that Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has no hand in reconstruction and is not able to siphon off resources for military use. Asked about this, Mr Lazzarini said, “UNRWA is a director implementer and, basically, whatever UNRWA provides in the Gaza Strip is being provided to the Palestinian refugees directly.”
Through the agency’s local staff, UNRWA is trying to ensure that the basic needs of nearly 2 million people in Gaza are met.
But, he said, the broader aspirations could only be addressed with a political agreement – on such matters as the 14-year blockade on Gaza.
“I think the blockade definitely needs to be addressed and lifted, you cannot have a normal life if your life is limited in such a narrow geographical space for such a dense population, normal life and normal economic activities requires the lifting of the blockade,” he said.
“I heard people saying ‘but we want nothing else than normal life, we don't understand any more what is going on? … Our dreams are not different than anyone else anywhere else in the world.’ And I think this is quite fundamental and central on the issue of dealing and healing this deeper psychological trauma which has really affected, in a very widespread way, the population in Gaza.”
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
New schools in Dubai
The Ashes
Results
First Test, Brisbane: Australia won by 10 wickets
Second Test, Adelaide: Australia won by 120 runs
Third Test, Perth: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs
Fourth Test: Melbourne: Drawn
Fifth Test: Australia won by an innings and 123 runs
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
This is an info box
- info goes here
- and here
- and here
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.5-litre%20V12%20and%20three%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C500Nm%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Early%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh2%20million%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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."
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%20v%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3E%0DSaturday%2C%208.15pm%2C%20Al%20Ain%20Amblers%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-final%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Exiles%2020-26%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3Cbr%3EDubai%20Tigers%2032-43%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETable%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1%20Dubai%20Tigers%2C%2033%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E2%20Dubai%20Exiles%2C%2024%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E3%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%2C%2018%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E4%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%2C%2014%20points%0D%3Cbr%3E5%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%2C%2014%20points%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
%3Cp%3ECreator%3A%20Tima%20Shomali%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0Tara%20Abboud%2C%C2%A0Kira%20Yaghnam%2C%20Tara%20Atalla%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022