The situation for migrants who were left stranded in Bosnia and Herzegovina after their tent camp burnt down has "improved significantly", the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Monday.
But the organisation still holds concerns for up to 1,500 migrants who have not been accommodated inside new heated tents set up weeks after fire destroyed the camp at Lipa, in the north-west of the Balkan country.
Scores of migrants had endured miserable conditions in the freezing cold since late December following the fire. The situation was compounded when local authorities refused to open a nearby centre in Bihac after an outcry from residents, leaving the migrants to sleep in the outdoors.
Peter Van der Auweraert, of the IOM, told The National all 900 migrants still at Lipa were rehoused inside the tents on Monday.
"While the conditions will remain basic, the humanitarian situation of those people has improved significantly," he said.
"They were spending the night outside before, so that’s a very positive development that we have seen. Both in terms of improvement of the humanitarian situation, but also the fact that the state has taken responsibility for this and will be running the camp."
However, he warned a further 1,500 migrants faced grim prospects elsewhere in the country.
"We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance, but in terms of access to shelter, I don’t see a solution around the corner for those people," he added.
On Sunday, refugee rights group Pro Asyl urged the German government to rehome stranded migrants who were still at the fire-ravaged camp.
New figures showed the number of people seeking asylum in Germany in 2020 fell 30 per cent compared with 2019, with closed borders and coronavirus lockdowns blamed for the decrease.
Pro Asyl said the situation in Bosnia was urgent, given the harsh winter weather.
“The current asylum figures show Germany has room,” it said.
The Lipa camp was set up hastily during the summer when Europe tightened border restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The camp lacked basic necessities such as water and electricity. Aid agencies pulled out after saying it was unsustainable.
The centre was burnt down by some migrants who were forced to leave, police said. It forced the thousands still living there out into the cold as authorities scrambled to find alternative accommodation.
Officials identified the centre in Bihac as appropriate and began transferring the migrants there on buses, but local authorities refused to take them. The vehicles returned to Lipa and the migrants were forced off.
Mr Van der Auweraert said the issue of the migrants being resettled inside the European Union was complicated as most had already left Greece, an EU member state, before getting stuck at the border of a non-member state.
"Some people in Bosnia and Herzegovina say they should be (resettled in the EU). The question becomes if they take people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, why not from Turkey, why not from Lebanon and Jordan," he said.
"It’s a difficult discussion to have."
Last week, the EU gave €3.5 million ($4.2m) in aid after describing the situation as a "humanitarian disaster".
“Long-term solutions are urgently needed,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
“We urge the authorities not to leave people out in the cold, without access to sanitary facilities in the midst of a global pandemic.”
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
