As the battle for the city of Raqqa ends, aid organisations and activists are calling attention to what appears to be the most significant humanitarian crisis of Syria’s six-year civil war.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from the northern city, which was ISIL’s de facto capital of its self-declared caliphate.
Eighty per cent of the city was destroyed, according to some estimates, and many of the displaced are living in rudimentary camps outside Raqqa, where access to the most basic services is limited.
Nonetheless, tens of thousands of Syrians are reported to be joining those already displaced as fighting intensifies around the city of Deir Ezzor, about 140 kilometres southeast of Raqqa.
An International Committee of the Red Cross in Damascus spokeswoman said that an ICRC delegation visiting one camp on Tuesday found that its population had more than quadrupled since August.
“The number has gone from 6,000 to 26,000,” said Ingy Sedky, referring to the Arisha camp near the city of Hasaka, about 200 kilometres east of Raqqa.
“There are an additional 7,000 people waiting for a place to stay. They are waiting in the open without shelter, without tents and without access to basic needs.”
She said that 15 buses carrying people were arriving in the space of an hour.
“The increase in the number is beyond the ability of any actor to respond,” Ms Sedky said.
“The Syrian Arab Red Crescent and ICRC have been able to provide bottles of water for the people who are waiting, and we will begin very soon trucking in water.
“We have been sending some supplies, including food and winter clothes, also mattresses, but we have not been able to begin distribution.”
Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation, echoes the ICRC’s concerns, saying that some 270,000 people who left Raqqa were in critical need of aid and the camps are “bursting at the seams”.
“With high levels of destruction reported in and around Raqqa, most families have little or nothing to return home to and will likely be stuck in camps for months or years to come,” it said in a statement released on Tuesday. “In addition, more than 10,000 people a day are now fleeing ongoing fighting in ISIS strongholds around Deir Ezzor.”
Save the Children also referenced the psychological damage suffered by Raqqa’s residents.
“Children in camps around Raqqa have told Save the Children of witnessing executions and decapitations, seeing friends and relatives blown up by landmines, and homes reduced to rubble by bombing,” the statement said.
Abdulkarim Al Huaidi, who is involved in humanitarian aid projects, said there was not enough organisation to cover the needs of civilians.
“The water network has been destroyed because of bombing,” he said. “No hospitals can deal with the number of injured.”
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, more than 1,000 civilians had been killed since June, along with at least 2,000 combatants.
Mr Al Huaidi expected the toll from the fighting to rise, saying: “There are still civilians under the rubble.”
The political situation is also a concern for Raqqa residents who hope to return in spite of the destruction. It was the Syrian Democratic Forces — a militia backed by US air power, artillery and advisers — that defeated ISIL.
The SDF is dominated by Syrian Kurds, many of whom have an affiliation with the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia that serves as the military wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD).
Though PYD’s exact intentions are unclear, they now control large parts of northeastern Syria and have been accused of systematically displacing Arabs. PYD advocates greater autonomy for Syrian Kurds, who make up about 10 per cent of the country’s population and have been oppressed for decades by the country’s Baathist government.
“I expect to come back to Raqqa after six months and work politically against PYD and YPG,” Mr Al Huaidi said.
Others from Raqqa went further, referring to the People’s Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces as “occupiers”.
Col Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting ISIL in Iraq and Syria, put the SDF’s numbers at 57,000, about 31,000 of whom are Kurds. He acknowledged that in some cases, YPG units had been incorporated wholesale.
The SDF also controls many of the refugee camps, including Arisha.
One source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that because the SDF screens displaced Syrians waiting to enter camps under their control, as many as 40,000 additional people were waiting at SDF checkpoints for permission to enter the camps.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Company%20Profile
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Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Profile
Name: Carzaty
Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar
Launched: 2017
Employees: 22
Based: Dubai and Muscat
Sector: Automobile retail
Funding to date: $5.5 million
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
'Ashkal'
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
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.
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
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Brief scores:
Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)
England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)
Result: Scotland won by six runs
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zayed Sustainability Prize