Arab-African Meeting Held in Cairo ahead of Riyadh Summit Next Month

The opening of the Fourth Africa-Arab Summit, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 23 November 2016. (African Union)
The opening of the Fourth Africa-Arab Summit, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 23 November 2016. (African Union)
TT

Arab-African Meeting Held in Cairo ahead of Riyadh Summit Next Month

The opening of the Fourth Africa-Arab Summit, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 23 November 2016. (African Union)
The opening of the Fourth Africa-Arab Summit, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 23 November 2016. (African Union)

An Arab League committee met in Cairo on Sunday to prepare for a congress of the Arab and African ministers of agriculture that will be held in Egypt on November 9 – 11.

The recommendations of the ministers’ meeting will be submitted to the Arab-African Summit, scheduled for Riyadh on November 25.

This is the forth meeting of the committee, which is attended by representatives from the Arab League, the African Union and Egypt, which hosts the summit of the Arab-African ministers of agriculture.

Following Sunday’s meeting, Ambassador Kamal Hassan Ali, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs at the Arab League, told reporters that participants discussed the technical papers that should be presented during the congress, adding that a fifth meeting will be held on November 3 for this end.

“The congress aims to boost cooperation between Africa and Arabs, particularly in the agricultural field, one of the main items on the agenda of next month’s Riyadh summit,” he added.

Asked whether the Arab League was satisfied with the progress of Arab-African cooperation after several meetings were held in this regard, he replied that efforts were ongoing to strengthen these ties, which he described as broad and wide-ranging.

On whether the current Israeli infiltration in Africa would have any negative impact on these relations, Ali stated: “Israel seeks such objectives, however, joint Arab-African joint cooperation will foil conspiracies plotted by any party.”



Palestinian Families in Tents Endure Harsh Conditions on Gaza’s Windswept Coast

Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
TT

Palestinian Families in Tents Endure Harsh Conditions on Gaza’s Windswept Coast

Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Displaced Palestinians stand in front of tents along an inundated passage, following heavy rainfall north of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Displaced Palestinian families living in makeshift tent camps along the desolate beach in Deir al-Balah say there's no way to stay warm as winter hits the Gaza Strip.
Wind from the sea whips through shelters of torn tarps and bedsheets, held together with rope and wooden frames. They offer little insulation to Muhammad al-Sous, his wife and their five kids. Their tent is right on the beach beside a sandy bluff, just meters (yards) from the waves, and he says high seas washed away most of their belongings, The Associated Press said.
“These children, I swear to God, their mother and I cover ourselves with one blanket and we cover them with three blankets that we got from neighbors,” he said. The kids collect plastic bottles to burn for warmth in front of their tent.
“Everyone has nothing but what they are wearing. When my wife bathes them, she washes their clothes and hangs them up to dry while they stay here under the covers until their clothes are dry,” said al-Sous, who was displaced from Beit Lahiya.
At least three babies died from the cold this week while sleeping in tents, according to doctors at Nasser Hospital. A nurse who worked at the European Hospital also died of exposure in a tent. Overnight temperatures have dipped as low as 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) in the territory.
Meanwhile, Atta al-Hassoumi, another man displaced from Beit Lahiya along with eight family members, said they pray for mild weather without rain or storms.
“We are shivering from the cold and from the situation that we are in. ... I'm unable to work or do anything in war, and I am unable to do anything for them,” he said.