UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged donors to provide more than $10 billion for aid work in Syria and to help the millions of refugees who have fled the war-ravaged country in the past decade.
An online donor meeting hosted by the UN and the EU came amid sporadic fighting in Syria and a Covid-19 outbreak that has worsened the country's economic collapse and its soaring rates of poverty and hunger.
The UN is seeking $4.2bn to support more than 13 million needy people in Syria – a 20 per cent increase on last year – and $5.8bn to help refugees in nearby Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt.
“I call on you to help us address rising needs and to step up your financial and humanitarian commitments to people in Syria, and help relieve the significant financial burden of the countries that are hosting refugees,” Mr Guterres said.
"Syria's economy has been ravaged and now the impacts of Covid-19 have made things worse. Almost half of all families lost their source of income. Nine in 10 Syrians are living in poverty."
Donors have grown tired of trying to fix Syria’s seemingly endless crisis.
The humanitarian appeal for 2020 was funded 45 per cent below its $3.82bn target and about a 14 per cent drop from the previous year.
The coronavirus pandemic has compounded Syria’s already dire economic crisis.
The local currency has crashed and food prices have soared by 222 per cent from last year, pushing millions of people towards poverty and hunger.
A deal between Russia and Turkey has reduced the levels of fighting in Syria’s north-west, but the country’s humanitarian situation is worsening, with about 24 million Syrians at home and abroad needing aid – more than at any other time in the conflict.
“It has been 10 years of despair and disaster for Syrians,” UN aid chief Mark Lowcock said.
“Now plummeting living conditions, economic decline and Covid-19 result in more hunger, malnutrition and disease.
"There is less fighting but no peace dividend. More people need more help than at any point during the war and children must return to learning.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week urged the UN Security Council to increase the number of border checkpoints that can be used to bring food, medicine and other much-needed supplies into Syria.
Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s government, has said the checkpoints are not necessary and that aid should be managed by Damascus and transported across front lines within the war-torn country.
“Every month, humanitarians bring help to 7.6 million people in Syria, including through cross-line and cross-border operations,” Mr Guterres told the donor conference.
“This is only possible thanks to the extraordinary commitment and endurance of humanitarians and health workers on the front lines.”
The council is set to vote on cross-border aid operations again in July.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
“I have no words to thank you for helping me out,” she wrote to The Debt Panel after receiving the panellists' comments. “The advice has given me an idea of the present status of the loan and how to take it up further. I will draft a letter and send it to the email ID on the bank’s website along with the death certificate. I hope and pray to find a way out of this.”
November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
SL, a financial services employee from India, left the UAE in June after quitting his job because his employer had not paid him since November 2018. He owes Dh103,800 on four debts and was told by the panellists he may be able to use the insolvency law to solve his issue.
SL thanked the panellists for their efforts. "Indeed, I have some clarity on the consequence of the case and the next steps to take regarding my situation," he says. "Hopefully, I will be able to provide a positive testimony soon."
October 15: 'I lost my job and left the UAE owing Dh71,000. Can I return?'
MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
“The insolvency law is indeed a relief to hear,” he says. "I will not apply for insolvency at this stage. I have been able to pay something towards my loan and credit card. As it stands, I only have a one-month deficit, which I will be able to recover by the end of December."
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
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England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
