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BBC Staff in Egypt Hold New Strike

A picture published by Journalists Syndicate chair Khaled Al-Balshy about the new strike of BBC journalists in Cairo.
A picture published by Journalists Syndicate chair Khaled Al-Balshy about the new strike of BBC journalists in Cairo.
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BBC Staff in Egypt Hold New Strike

A picture published by Journalists Syndicate chair Khaled Al-Balshy about the new strike of BBC journalists in Cairo.
A picture published by Journalists Syndicate chair Khaled Al-Balshy about the new strike of BBC journalists in Cairo.

BBC staff in Cairo launched on Monday a 10-day strike, with a possibility of extension, to protest against low salaries and over what they claim to be discriminatory financial behavior by the London management, according to a statement by the staff published by Journalists Syndicate chair Khaled al-Balshy.

The strike is the third in almost three months. It came following a one-day strike on 14 June and a three-day strike in July.

The strike was triggered by what the journalists described as management's intransigence in solving their problem and of adopting an unfair financial policy that discriminates between them and their colleagues who operate in the Middle East.

The British Association of Journalists (BAJ) expressed on Monday “solidarity” with the strikers.

“We are following the crisis and providing guidance to the staff in their dealings and negotiations with the administration,” Sherine Sherif, vice-chairman of the trade union committee representing BBC World Service, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

However, she stressed that the BAJ cannot represent journalists in Egypt, who remain subject to local laws in their country of work. “We have repeatedly issued statements to support their position,” Sherif added.

The strikers accused BBC management of “wasting any possible opportunities for serious negotiations” during three meetings held between them and Balshy as they only offered minor pay raises for workers and not proportional to the declining value of the Egyptian pound.”

They have been demanding financial rights equal to their colleagues in other offices in the region.

The BBC staff in Cairo further denounced the disciplinary measures taken against them by cutting the days during which they went on strike from their salaries.

Meanwhile, the BBC management rejected any form of negotiations with the strikers until they resumed their duties.

In response, the BBC Cairo journalists declined to comment, stressing that what was stated in the statement was sufficient.

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Arab World

UN Warns: Polio Continues to Threaten Lives of Yemeni Children

Since 2023, a series of polio immunization campaigns have been conducted (UN)
Since 2023, a series of polio immunization campaigns have been conducted (UN)
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UN Warns: Polio Continues to Threaten Lives of Yemeni Children

Since 2023, a series of polio immunization campaigns have been conducted (UN)
Since 2023, a series of polio immunization campaigns have been conducted (UN)

Yemen continues to battle an outbreak of variant poliovirus, with 273 cases reported over the last three years amid a humanitarian crisis and declining vaccination rates, two UN agencies warned on Saturday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said data paints an alarming picture that polio, a disease that can cause irreversible paralysis and death, and which can be prevented by vaccination, continues to threaten the lives of children in Yemen.
This comes at a time when Yemen’s children are also faced with life threatening problems such as cholera, diphtheria, and malnutrition, they said.
In Yemen, which until 2020 had been polio-free for decades, national polio immunization coverage dropped from 58% in 2022 to 46% in 2023 due to the fragility of the health system and the social, political and security crisis, WHO and UNICEF reported.
“The outbreak of variant poliovirus type 2 in Yemen persists amidst increasing health emergencies, further straining an already overburdened health system,” said Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative and Head of Mission in Yemen.
He added that “through renewed collective action and customized strategies that integrate health services with polio vaccination for Yemen’s children, we can enhance outbreak response and surveillance, making significant progress towards eradicating the spread of variant poliovirus in Yemen.”
To bridge the immunization gap and combat the surge in polio cases, WHO and UNICEF are teaming up with the Health Ministry and other partners to reach missed children and underserved communities.
Ongoing Campaigns
Since 2023, a series of polio immunization campaigns have been conducted. The two campaigns conducted in 2024 reached 1.2 million children in the first round in February, and over 1.3 million children in the second round in July, representing 100% and 102% coverage respectively.
In addition, the Health Ministry, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and other partners are joining forces to implement the Big Catch-up initiative which aims to restore and accelerate routine immunization services for children who missed vital vaccines.
The authorities and health partners have jointly launched the Health Emergency Expansion Response (HEER) initiative, which aims to extend integrated primary health care (PHC) services, including vaccination.
The focus is on reaching underserved areas, enhancing health equity, and addressing the ongoing polio and measles outbreaks.
“The battle against polio is challenging in a fragile, conflict-affected context like Yemen. But eradication is within reach,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative to Yemen.
“We need to gather efforts with the local authorities, health professionals and community leaders among other partners to ensure that every child is vaccinated against polio and other preventable diseases,” he added.
Need for Assistance
While efforts are underway, additional support and resources are needed to step up initiatives to end polio and save the lives of vulnerable children.
WHO and UNICEF are calling on governments, partners and donors to prioritize the vaccination of all children against polio through vaccination campaigns, strengthen immunization systems to ensure all children receive essential, life-saving vaccines, deliver an integrated package of health services, including polio vaccine and protect humanitarian and health care workers delivering vaccines.
WHO and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) have launched a $3 million project to significantly boost immunization coverage and measles surveillance over a 15-month period.
More than 1.2 million people are set to benefit from this vital initiative to combat measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases across Aden, Hajjah, Saada and Taiz – four of the governorates most affected by Yemen’s current measles outbreak.
The project aims to ameliorate the coverage of children vulnerable to diseases such as measles, polio, diphtheria and pertussis.
Solar refrigerators will be provided to 81 health facilities as part of the project, ensuring greater access to vaccination services.
The project will be rolled out in 77 districts across the four target governorates. The project will involve 770 health facilities and deploy 1540 health workers to ensure regular vaccination throughout its duration.