UN warns Lebanon could face same ‘spiral of doom’ as Gaza
“We need to do everything we can to stop that from happening,” said Matthew Hollingworth, Lebanon country director for WFP
“It is in my mind from the time I wake until the time I sleep, that we could go into the same sort of spiral of doom,”
Updated 09 October 2024
AFP
GENEVA: UN humanitarian officials called Tuesday for urgent action to stop the escalating conflict in Lebanon from spiralling into a similar scene of devastation as seen in Gaza.
“We need to do everything we can to stop that from happening,” said Matthew Hollingworth, Lebanon country director for the United Nations’ World Food Programme.
Speaking from Beirut, he told a press briefing in Geneva that he spent the first half of the year coordinating WFP’s operations in Gaza before taking the helm of its Lebanon office, and was deeply concerned by the similarities.
“It is in my mind from the time I wake until the time I sleep, that we could go into the same sort of spiral of doom... We shouldn’t allow that to happen,” he said.
Israel’s war in Gaza, launched after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack inside Israel, has killed more than 41,900 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The UN has said the figures are reliable.
The October 7 attack left 1,206 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures, which includes hostages killed in captivity.
The resulting conflict has spilled into Lebanon, with intensifying airstrikes and Israeli troops battling Hezbollah militants on the ground.
Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon has killed more than 1,100 people and displaced upwards of a million in less than two weeks.
Hollingworth said many people were fleeing because they “have watched over the last year as the war in Gaza has continued and neighborhoods have been decimated and pounded, and that is deep in their gut, in their hearts, in their minds.”
James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, warned that “the commonalities are unfortunately absolutely there to be seen, whether it is displacement on the ground, impact upon children or language being used ... (to) soften the realities on the ground.”
“We are seeing the same patterns that we saw in Gaza,” added Jeremy Laurence of the UN rights office.
“The devastation is beyond belief for all people in Lebanon as it is in Gaza. We can’t let this happen again.”
Humanitarians are working to address the soaring needs, but Hollingworth insisted that what was needed was to “de-escalate.”
While WFP is currently able to reach around 150,000 people a day, they “need to be reaching, at this point, almost a million people per day,” he said.
At the same time, he highlighted that 1,900 hectares of agricultural land had been burned in southern Lebanon over the past year, mainly in the past couple of weeks, while 12,000 hectares of productive farmland had been abandoned.
“We have very significant needs moving forward,” Hollingworth said, lamenting that the WFP was facing a $115 million funding gap to cover the towering needs over the next three months.
The World Health Organization meanwhile said it had registered 16 attacks on health care in Lebanon since mid-September, leaving 65 health care workers dead and 40 injured.
At the same time five of the country’s hospitals were now non-functional and four were only partially functional, Ian Clarke, WHO’s deputy incident manager in the country, told reporters, speaking via video link from Beirut.
Nearly 100 primary health care facilities had also been forced to close, he said, warning that with limited access to care, “we are facing a situation where there is a much higher risk of disease outbreaks.”
Israeli airstrike in Bekaa shakes ceasefire 29 days after it came into effect
The Israeli army claimed that “an Israeli fighter jet attacked a terrorist cell in the Bekaa”
Updated 6 min 5 sec ago
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: For the first time since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on Nov. 27, Israel breached the agreement deep inside Lebanese territory.
In the early hours of Wednesday, an Israeli warplane struck the town of Taraya near Baalbek.
A Lebanese security source said the airstrike occurred at 2:45 a.m., targeting a residence and an associated garage in the town of Taraya owned by a member of the Hamieh family. There were no casualties.
The Israeli army claimed that “an Israeli fighter jet attacked a terrorist cell in the Bekaa.”
Taraya is on the eastern slopes of the western Lebanese mountains, approximately 73 kilometers from the capital city of Beirut and 23 kilometers from the city of Baalbek. It was previously targeted by Israeli airstrikes during the extensive war on Lebanon — which lasted for 64 days — under the pretext of targeting sites and weapon depots belonging to Hezbollah.
Israel’s continued flouting of the terms of the ceasefire, which has been in effect for 29 days, were the focal point of a meeting held on Tuesday evening between caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and representatives from the United States, France, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
The attendees included American Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, France’s Gen. Guillaume Ponchin, the commander of the Southern Litani sector of the Lebanese Army, Brig. Gen. Edgar Lowndes, and UNIFIL Commander Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, along with the Lebanese army commander, Brig. Gen. Joseph Aoun.
Mikati called on the committee to “stop the Israeli violations and the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the border areas.”
He also agreed with the attendees to hold successive meetings with the Lebanese army to discuss the issues raised.
Israeli reconnaissance planes resumed incursions into Lebanese airspace, flying at low altitude over southern Lebanon, Beirut and its southern suburbs, after ceasing operations for two days.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army raised Israeli flags at a vacant Lebanese army post on Awida Hill.
This site, a strategic location, is where the Lebanese army previously established a base. It is adjacent to the villages of Kfar Kila, Adaisseh, Deir Mimas and Taybeh and overlooks Israeli settlements in Galilee, including Kiryat Shmona and Hula Valley, extending to Tiberias and deep into the Golan Heights.
Israeli raids on the border village of Taybeh killed two people on Monday.
The Israeli forces that invaded several border villages in southern Lebanon demolished houses and bulldozed roads on the outskirts of Houla, adjacent to Mays Al-Jabal. Lebanese residents are still denied entry to the occupied area, which includes 62 villages.
Israeli artillery shelling on Wednesday targeted Tayr Harfa, the outskirts of Majdal Zoun, and Maroun Al-Ras. Israeli forces also struck Jebbayn, firing bursts of machine-gun fire toward the town.
Media reports in Beirut reported that “US envoy Amos Hochstein will visit Beirut at the beginning of next year to help implement the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.”
Israeli forces have dragged their heels in the withdrawal from invaded border areas, delaying the Lebanese army’s deployment in the cleared area.
Fears grow that Israeli’s war against Lebanon may restart, because the committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire is unable to stop Israeli violations.
The Israeli army is using the 60-day period in the ceasefire agreement for the complete withdrawal of its troops from invaded areas to destroy what is left of Hezbollah’s positions and weapon depots.
Meanwhile, explosions were heard in the Anti-Lebanon mountains separating Lebanon and Syria, apparently caused by the Lebanese army detonating explosive remnants of Israeli operations against Bekaa.
JIAT finds coalition hit Houthi vehicle in Yemen in 2018
Joint Incidents Assessment Team said one guided bomb hit a legitimate military target
Investigation came after allegations the vehicle contained civilians and firewood
Updated 11 min ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Joint Incidents Assessment Team released a statement on Wednesday regarding a claim that the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen targeted a vehicle in the Sanaa governorate in 2018.
The JIAT investigation found that coalition forces did not target a vehicle carrying five people from two families and a firewood load in the Sanaa governorate on March 21, 2018, as claimed.
However, the JIAT, which was set up in May 2016 to assess Saudi military activity in Yemen, found that the air forces targeted a vehicle belonging to the Houthi militia in the Musawarah area in Nihm district, 40 km east of the capital.
The JIAT stated that the air forces targeted the Houthi vehicle 620 meters away from the coordinates mentioned in the claim regarding the civilian vehicle.
It added the legitimate Yemeni government’s ground forces requested air support to target a Houthi vehicle in Musawarah during armed clashes.
The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen’s air forces then launched an airstrike and used one guided bomb to hit the Houthi target, the JIAT added.
The investigation assessed documents related to the operation, including air mission orders and reports, video recordings, and satellite images.
It also reviewed the coalition’s rules of engagement in light of international humanitarian law, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Based on video recordings of the strike, the JIAT found that the Houthi vehicle was on the road in the Nihm district that connects Marib and Sanaa, the SPA reported.
The JIAT added that the road was free of civilians and other vehicles, and there were no buildings around the military target; neither personnel nor firewood load were seen onboard the vehicle, the SPA added.
Education minister opens Saudi Arabia’s first technical high school for gifted boys
Students will engage in advanced technical projects, research and specialized training programs
Updated 21 min 49 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi Education Minister Yousef Al-Benyan inaugurated the Technological High School for Gifted Boys at Tuwaiq Academy in Riyadh, the first government school in the Kingdom specializing in technology.
The event was attended by Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha, Tuwaiq Academy Chairman Faisal Al-Khamisi, and other educational and technical leaders.
The school follows a pioneering global model aimed at developing the technological skills and capabilities of students, empowering them to build and innovate groundbreaking projects.
It also focuses on learning and scientific research, preparing students for local and international technological specializations.
By keeping pace with future advancements, the school enhances the Kingdom’s technological education standards. Students from the school will also represent Saudi Arabia in regional and international competitions and exhibitions.
“Technology has become fundamental to daily life and is an essential tool for navigating the future,” said Naif bin Abed Al-Zari, Riyadh’s education director, highlighting the Ministry of Education’s partnership with Tuwaiq Academy.
Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi, CEO of Tuwaiq Academy, called the partnership a cornerstone for advancing technical education.
The new educational establishment focuses on nurturing future talent through an immersive, application-based curriculum complemented by global certifications in specialized programs.
Al-Hammadi said that students at the school have earned more than 120 professional certifications from major global companies in the first semester of operations alone.
During their visit, the two ministers toured the technical school and academy facilities, observing programs, bootcamps and activities while interacting with students to assess the learning environment.
The school offers specialized programs in programming, cybersecurity, digital manufacturing, data science and other fields.
It will prepare students for major competitions like the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Competition and Exhibition, and the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, showcasing Saudi talent in a range of technical fields.
2024 Year in Review: Conflict keeps Sudanese trapped in a nightmare without end
Famine now blights swathes of the country, while mass atrocities have taken place in Darfur and other regions
Sudan remains a stark reminder of the human cost of indifference and the urgent need for concerted global action
Updated 6 min 15 sec ago
Robert Edwards
LONDON: Sudan’s descent into chaos, triggered by the outbreak of civil war in April 2023, has created one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st century.
Despite its magnitude, the crisis has been overshadowed this year by events in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, leaving millions to endure unimaginable hardship with insufficient international attention or assistance.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has plunged the nation into a spiral of violence, famine, displacement, and suffering.
Over the course of 2024, tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions forced from their homes. Famine now blights swathes of the country, while mass atrocities have taken place in Darfur and other regions.
Essential services, including hospitals, have collapsed, leaving the population dependent on overstretched and underfunded humanitarian aid.
The conflict between Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has plunged the nation into a spiral of violence. (AFP/File)
Observers say the crisis, described by the UN as a “living nightmare,” has exposed the failure of the international community to provide adequate support or enforce meaningful accountability.
Hunger is now a fact of life for millions of Sudanese. The crisis has unleashed famine, particularly in Darfur, Kordofan, and neighboring regions, where the fighting has decimated agricultural production and disrupted supply chains.
In August, the Global Famine Review Committee officially declared famine in parts of Sudan, confirming IPC Phase 5 conditions in camps near Al-Fashir in Darfur. More than 25.6 million people face acute food insecurity, while 1.5 million are on the edge of famine.
The outbreak of famine was no accident. Humanitarian agencies say both the SAF and RSF have weaponized hunger by blocking aid routes, looting food supplies, and destroying farmland.
The deliberate targeting of humanitarian convoys has left isolated communities without access to food or clean water, exacerbating the crisis. Children have been the most vulnerable, with malnutrition rates soaring to catastrophic levels in displacement camps.
Malnutrition weakens immune systems, making the population more susceptible to illness. Disease outbreaks, including cholera and malaria, have compounded the misery.
Relief efforts, hampered by funding gaps and logistical challenges, have failed to match the scale of need. Despite repeated warnings from aid organizations, donor pledges have fallen short, leaving millions at risk of starvation.
The conflict has also triggered one of the largest displacement crises in recent history. More than 14 million people have been forced from their homes, with 11 million internally displaced and 3 million fleeing to neighboring countries such as Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan.
Khartoum, once the vibrant capital of Sudan, has become an epicenter of displacement. Entire neighborhoods lie in ruins, and millions of internally displaced persons now live in makeshift shelters, enduring appalling conditions.
Refugees who have sought sanctuary in neighboring countries now find themselves in overcrowded camps, with inadequate provisions and limited access to healthcare.
Host countries, already grappling with their own economic and security challenges, have received insufficient international support to meet the growing needs of these vulnerable populations.
The plight of IDPs is compounded by continued violence. Armed groups frequently attack camps, looting supplies and preying on displaced families. Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations face immense challenges in reaching those most in need.
Millions of people lack access to basic necessities such as food, water, medicine, and fuel. The war has crippled the country’s healthcare system, with more than 70 percent of medical facilities destroyed, looted, or knocked out of action.
Humanitarian aid, though vital, has been woefully insufficient. Only half of the $2.7 billion needed for Sudan’s relief operations in 2024 was funded, leaving millions without adequate support.
Refugees who have sought sanctuary in neighboring countries now find themselves in overcrowded camps. (AFP/File)
Aid agencies say the SAF and RSF have systematically obstructed deliveries of relief, targeting warehouses and convoys in an attempt to starve opposition strongholds into submission. As such, despite the efforts of aid workers, the scale of suffering continues to grow.
The toll of Sudan’s civil war is staggering, with estimates indicating more than 150,000 civilians killed since the conflict began in April 2023. These deaths, caused by bombardments, massacres, starvation, and disease, underscore the catastrophic human cost of the war.
A November report by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated more than 61,000 deaths in Khartoum state alone between April 2023 and June 2024.
Medical professionals warned early on that official figures underrepresented the true death toll, as many victims could not access hospitals due to ongoing violence.
In a May US Senate hearing, experts suggested the real casualty figure could be 10 to 15 times higher than earlier estimates.
The appalling extent of the violence plaguing Sudan emerged in October and November amid a spate of massacres in eastern Al-Jazirah state. As of December, up to 7,000 civilians had been killed in a series of brutal attacks reportedly carried out by the RSF, according to local monitors.
Survivors recounted harrowing tales of mass rape, forced displacements, and homes set ablaze. These atrocities are part of a broader pattern of violence that has characterized the conflict across Sudan.
Ethnic and territorial motives have driven these attacks, particularly in non-Arab communities. The RSF has been accused of systematic killings, sexual violence, and the destruction of entire villages in Darfur and other regions.
International condemnation of the massacres has been swift but largely ineffective. Human rights organizations have called for accountability and protection for civilians, but the lack of a functional justice system in Sudan has allowed perpetrators to act with impunity.
The conflict has also been marked by the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence, with harrowing accounts of abuse continuing to emerge.
Over the course of 2024, tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions forced from their homes. (AFP/File)
In July, Human Rights Watch released a report detailing the extent of these atrocities, stating that sexual violence in Khartoum had become “widespread,” particularly at the hands of the RSF.
The report documented numerous cases of rape, gang rape, forced marriages, and sexual slavery, with victims ranging in age from nine to 60.
Women and girls, often displaced and vulnerable, have been subjected to unimaginable suffering. NGOs estimate that as many as 4,400 cases of sexual assault may have occurred during the conflict, though the true number is likely much higher.
In April, Canada’s Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights concluded that atrocities committed in Darfur meet the legal definition of genocide.
The RSF and allied militias have targeted communities, particularly the Masalit people, in what experts describe as a campaign of ethnic cleansing with echoes of the slaughter perpetrated by the RSF’s predecessor, the Janjaweed, in 2003-05.
Mass killings, sexual violence, and the destruction of villages have become hallmarks of the conflict. Survivors have recounted chilling accounts of entire families being executed and homes being razed.
The international community has struggled to respond effectively. While some advocacy groups have called for stronger sanctions and international prosecutions, enforcement mechanisms remain weak.
Many observers believe the international response to Sudan’s crisis has been fragmented and insufficient.
Relief efforts, hampered by funding gaps and logistical challenges, have failed to match the scale of need. (AFP/File)
The EU imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to activities that undermine Sudan’s stability, including those implicated in atrocities. However, these measures have done little to change the behavior of the warring factions.
The US and the African Union have called for a ceasefire, while Saudi Arabia and others have sought to mediate between the parties. However, peace talks have repeatedly failed.
In August, the Aligned for Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) Group, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, proposed the creation of humanitarian corridors and civilian protection measures. However, ongoing violence has stymied these efforts.
External actors have continued to arm factions in the conflict, further complicating international mediation efforts. The UN Security Council, meanwhile, has faced criticism for its perceived inaction.
As the war continues into another year, Sudan remains a stark reminder of the human cost of indifference and the urgent need for concerted global action.
Asma Assad ‘has 50/50 chance’ of surviving leukemia: Report
Former Syrian first lady is being kept isolated in Moscow as doctors treat aggressive blood cancer
The 49-year-old reportedly arrived in the Russian capital ahead of her ousted husband
Updated 44 min 27 sec ago
Arab News
LONDON: Asma Assad is suffering from leukemia and has been given a “50/50” chance of survival by doctors, the Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
The British-born wife of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose family sought asylum in Moscow this month, is being kept in isolation to prevent infection.
Her father Fawaz Akhras is in the Russian capital to care for her, and was described as “heartbroken” by sources in contact with the Assad family.
In May, the Syrian presidency announced that the then-first lady had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
It follows her previous battle with breast cancer, which she announced she was “completely” free from in 2019.
The 49-year-old is believed to have arrived in Moscow for treatment before the Kremlin convinced her husband to flee Syria earlier this month.
The news of her leukemia follows reports that she was unhappy in Moscow and seeking a divorce from her husband. The family have not commented on the reports and the Kremlin denied rumors of a divorce.
Turkish journalists briefed by Russian diplomats were believed to be the source of the reports, the Telegraph reported.
One source who has communicated with a family representative told the newspaper that “Asma is dying,” adding: “She can’t be in the same room with anyone (because of her condition).”
Akhras, a London-based cardiologist, has cared for his daughter for almost half a year, initially in the UAE and now in Moscow.
