When five lorries entered a remote Syrian settlement near the Jordanian border to relocate dozens of displaced people who wanted to leave, they were met instead by an angry mob.
The drivers were told to pick up people who had registered to leave the area, known as Rukban camp, and take them to a government-controlled part of Syria.
Activists in the camp told The National that many of those who signed up needed urgent medical care.
The UN should know that most of us would rather die before going back to government-held Syria
Imad Abu Sham,
activist
Although the mission was supported by the UN and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the mob attacked the drivers and pelted the lorries with rocks.
People were angry that the convoy had not brought aid to the camp. The vehicles left with no passengers.
“People in the camp have a right to be angry with the UN, Red Crescent and the regime, but they shouldn’t have behaved that way," said Mr Shukree, an activist in Rukban who declined to give his last name.
"They shouldn’t have taken out their anger on the truck drivers."
Assad's 'starve or kneel' ultimatum
Rukban is a man-made humanitarian catastrophe.
It has little to no food, water, medicine or general supplies. Jordan has barred the displaced from entering and the Syrian government has denied aid convoys access.
This is part of what experts and activists say is the Syrian regime's strategy of weaponising humanitarian assistance in the 10-year conflict.
Since the start of the civil war in 2011, the Syrian government has recaptured large areas of the country through a now tried-and-tested model.
Syrian forces surround an area and block off supplies. They then use artillery and air strikes on populated areas and starve out any resistance.
When opposing forces surrender, they and any civilians who do not want to return to government rule have been taken by bus to other opposition-held areas.
Rukban, which is nominally controlled by the Mughawir Al Thawra rebel group, received its last convoy of aid in September 2019.
The camp used to receive periodic relief through Jordan until Amman sealed the border following a terrorist attack by ISIS in 2016.
At the time, 75,000 people languished in Rukban, but fewer than 10,000 are there today. Most of those who left organised their own departure, while those who remain depend on small donations from abroad.
After last week’s failed attempt to take people from the camp, human rights groups and activists accused the UN of aiding what has been termed Damascus’s “starve or kneel” strategy.
The UN was said to be enabling civilian transfers to government centres where returnees risk being detained, tortured or killed.
Asylum seekers at risk
Danielle Moylan, a representative for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told The National that the agency supports only voluntary returns.
She said the lorries were supposed to take 88 people who had registered to leave to a Covid-19 quarantine centre in Homs, Syria’s third-largest city.
Ms Moylan said that only those parties who control territory in Syria were responsible for guaranteeing safety and security.
“The UN is not in a position to make security guarantees and has not made any such guarantees to people living in Rukban who wish to leave,” she said.
“Rather, the UN has worked with partners to ensure Rukban residents have access to information and counselling to enable them to make an informed and voluntary decision on their departure from Rukban and return [to government areas].”
Civilians in Rukban said that the UN and Red Crescent told them to call a Red Crescent hotline to ask if they were wanted by the government before registering to leave the camp.
The National tried several times to call this number but there was no answer.
Sara Kayyali, a Syria researcher for Human Rights Watch, said such a hotline may not be accurate or impartial owing to the Red Crescent's relationship with the Syrian government.
The organisation works closely with security services and its senior board is chosen by Damascus. Ex-Red Crescent members claim that government agents have posed as volunteers to infiltrate the organisation.
“From our perspective, there should be very little faith placed in these hotlines and this is for a couple of reasons," Ms Kayyali said.
"First, any reconciliation that requires people to check if they’re wanted has always been very ad hoc, not systematised and not something that is comprehensive.
“We have documented many cases where people have checked if they’re wanted or not. They have double-checked, paid the right bribes and checked with multiple agencies, only to then return to government-held Syria and be arrested.
"That’s because being detained and mistreated in Syria is truly an arbitrary practice."
Earlier this month, Amnesty International published a report saying that the Syrian authorities had targeted returnees who sought asylum abroad.
The rights group interviewed 10 people from Rukban, all of whom were detained after returning to government-controlled areas. Three were tortured and two were disappeared.
The National contacted one of the people who reportedly registered to leave Rukban earlier this month but they denied having done so.
Activists say that those who registered through the Red Crescent hotline are now too afraid to speak to the media for fear of government retaliation when they eventually return.
A media activist in Rukban, who goes by the name of Imad Abu Sham, said that he believes most people in the camp would prefer to go to Jordan if it was an option.
But Jordan, which already hosts more than 658,000 registered Syrians, is not admitting any more displaced people.
Last year, the authorities in Amman deported dozens of Syrian refugees to Rukban in a move that was condemned by rights groups.
Despite being cut off from the world, Mr Abu Sham says he is mostly angry at the UN.
“How could they send those trucks without sending any aid,” he asked The National.
“The UN should know that most of us would rather die before going back to government-held Syria.”
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Cheeseburger%20ingredients
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
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.”
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
