UN chief Antonio Guterres warns of Gaza humanitarian situation collapsing


Adla Massoud
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday warned the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip would collapse as Israel responds to the Hamas attacks.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had earlier ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza, saying authorities would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza was extremely dire before these hostilities,” the UN chief said in New York. "Now it will only deteriorate exponentially.

He called for the protection of civilians and for Israeli military operations to be conducted in strict accordance with international humanitarian law.

Mr Guterres condemned the “abhorrent attacks by Hamas” in Israel, which have left more than 900 Israelis dead and more than 2,500 injured.

“Nothing can justify these acts of terror and the killing, maiming and abduction of civilians,” he said, repeating his call for an immediate cessation of violence and the release of all hostages.

He also expressed alarm by reports of more than 500 Palestinians – including women and children – killed in Gaza and more than 3,000 injured.

A fireball erupts during an Israeli bombardment of Gaza city on Monday. AFP
A fireball erupts during an Israeli bombardment of Gaza city on Monday. AFP

“Some 137,000 people are currently sheltering in UNRWA facilities – with the number increasing as heavy shelling and air strikes continue,” he said, referring to the UN Relief and Works Agency.

He urged all sides and the relevant parties to allow the UN access to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians trapped and helpless in the Gaza Strip.

If you go

 

  • The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
  • The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
  • The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as  Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
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That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.

"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.

Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."

People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.

"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."

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