Paris Conference Over Yemen Discusses Clear Mechanisms to Deliver Aids

Socotra residents escaping severe flooding/AFP
Socotra residents escaping severe flooding/AFP
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Paris Conference Over Yemen Discusses Clear Mechanisms to Deliver Aids

Socotra residents escaping severe flooding/AFP
Socotra residents escaping severe flooding/AFP

Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and chairman of Higher Committee for Relief in Yemen Abdul Raqeeb Fateh told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday that the scheduled Paris conference for the reconstruction of Yemen would discuss clear mechanisms for the delivery of humanitarian aids to the entire Yemeni territories, based on the announcement made by foreign ministers of the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

“The Yemeni government has specific guidelines which were presented during the Geneva meeting held last April.

Those guidelines focus on moving from an early recovery response to one related to the livelihoods and the needs of people, to enhance stability and provide revenue streams to the Yemenis,” Fateh said.

The Minister noted that an early recovery would still be needed even following the end of the war, however, he stressed the importance of moving to the second stage.

He said the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had already announced the presence of 22 safe-passage corridors to ensure guarded passage of humanitarian aid to Yemen.

“The Paris meeting would discuss means that could facilitate the delivery of aid to targeted areas and would also witness an invitation call for all humanitarian organizations, particularly those operating under the United Nations, to effectively operate in Yemen through a decentralized relief system and to improve efficiency in the use of funds and effectively achieve the set goals and the targets of the humanitarian operation,” Fateh said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Samer Al Jutaily, Spokesperson for King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) told Asharq Al-Awsat that a relief team already left Saudi Arabia to Socotra on a relief mission, adding that the visit preceded the arrival of the tropical storm to the Yemeni Island.

“We have already delivered 20 tons of aid, providing a large supply for humanitarian aid to around 150,000 Yemeni families,” Al Jutaily said.



Rising Discontent Within Hezbollah’s Support Base over Delayed War Compensation

A girl reacts near a poster of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at the site damaged by an Israeli airstrike that killed the Hezbollah leader, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Dahieh, Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A girl reacts near a poster of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at the site damaged by an Israeli airstrike that killed the Hezbollah leader, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Dahieh, Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Rising Discontent Within Hezbollah’s Support Base over Delayed War Compensation

A girl reacts near a poster of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at the site damaged by an Israeli airstrike that killed the Hezbollah leader, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Dahieh, Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A girl reacts near a poster of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, at the site damaged by an Israeli airstrike that killed the Hezbollah leader, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Dahieh, Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon December 6, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Hezbollah has been eager to assure its popular base that it would pay compensation fees for the losses incurred by the war with Israel, but delays in payments and a climate of favoritism has gradually begun to spread among its supporters.
Although some of the party’s inner circle are keen to avoid criticism in public, others have openly expressed resentment on social media pertaining to the way compensation is being distributed compared to the losses suffered by the people of the South, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
That, however, has pushed Hezbollah’s leadership to issue a statement on Monday that compensation for restoration and reconstruction continues based on some technical and logistical details it is working with.
Since a ceasefire went into effect on November 27, Hezbollah Secretary-General, Naeem Qassem, had declared the party’s commitment to providing housing allowances for a period of one year for those whose homes were destroyed. At the same time, the party shifted the responsibility for reconstruction compensation to the Lebanese government.
Housing Allowances and Compensations Ruled by Partiality
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, S.Abdullah, who now lives in a rented house in Beirut, said he has not received “a single dollar” from Hezbollah so far in compensation for his destroyed house in Khiam and another one largely devastated in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Speaking of favoritism he said: “Only party members are receiving the funds and anyone not affiliated with Hezbollah is being ignored, with no benefit from applying on this platform or that”, noting that his parents, brother and sister have also been ignored any compensation so far.
“We are managing our rental payments. But it is unacceptable that we be dragged into war and then promised compensation, only to see that favoritism rules...There are no longer any leaders in the party. Chaos controls the management of affairs, where money is being embezzled”.
Abdullah affirms that his words reflect the sentiments of most of the people in his town and the neighboring villages, “even though some do not dare to speak openly about this issue.
“Clearly the next phase will not be like before regarding Hezbollah’s popular base. Many things have changed and those will show in the future”, Abdullah concluded.
Conditions to Repair Homes before Payments Pose Burden on Low-income Homeowners
Moreover, requirements posed by Hezbollah that houses destroyed or damaged by war be repaired first by homeowners in order to receive compensation has become a burden for many low-income individuals who have no savings.
“My husband’s income is no more than 400 dollars. How can that be enough for us to eat, pay expenses, school tuition fees for my daughter and son, and also pay for the reconstruction”, one woman told the daily.
Another woman, Samia, whose house in south Lebanon was destroyed, said the housing allowance she receives from the party is insufficient to rent a home due to the rise in rental prices.
“I used to pay $300 for rent before the war. Today rent is between $600 and $700, if a house is even available”, she told the daily.
Samia however rejected accusations of betrayal made by some of Hezbollah’s popular base against those expressing concerns. “They shouldn't lecture us, as we have always supported the cause, but it is also our right to express our suffering”, she exclaimed.

Hezbollah: Follow-up Ongoing in Restoration and Reconstruction File 

Hezbollah said in a statement on Monday that it “continues to follow up on the file of restoration and reconstruction”, noting “three categories of files being worked on: the file of total demolitions, the file of buildings that require structural inspection, and the file of restoration”.

“Work is currently underway to expand the automation team to complete as many application forms as possible” added the statement, “we are trying to finalize all files in a short time”.