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Health Hazards Confront Yemenis Held in ‘Quarantine’ by Houthis in Al-Bayda

A girl wears a protective face mask amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus in Sanaa, Yemen March 17, 2020. (Reuters)
A girl wears a protective face mask amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus in Sanaa, Yemen March 17, 2020. (Reuters)
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Health Hazards Confront Yemenis Held in ‘Quarantine’ by Houthis in Al-Bayda

A girl wears a protective face mask amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus in Sanaa, Yemen March 17, 2020. (Reuters)
A girl wears a protective face mask amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus in Sanaa, Yemen March 17, 2020. (Reuters)

The Iran-backed Houthi militias have seized new coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to achieve material and political gains. The militias have consequently forced more than 1,000 Yemeni travelers into so-called quarantine in the al-Bayda governorate where they are being kept in unsanitary conditions.

On March 16, the Houthis took the arbitrary decision to shut borders with liberated areas controlled by the internationally-recognized government.

Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that a young cancer patient died while she was being held in quarantine in the Afar region. The lives of dozens of the elderly are also at risk because they are not being provided with necessary health care.

Photos circulated by travelers on social media revealed the decrepit state of the “quarantine” where piles of garbage are laying around. The facility also lacks proper clean water.

The government, for its part, has accused the militias of detaining travelers in al-Bayda and preventing them from reaching their destinations under the pretext of subjecting them to quarantine as a precaution against the coronavirus.

In a statement, published by the Aden-based Yemeni Saba news agency, the government added that this matter "resulted in the suffering of hundreds of travelers as a result of being held in the open, without shelter and without distinguishing between children, the elderly and women.” It accused the Houthis of keeping them in inhumane conditions without the most basic necessities for life.

This “reflects the hideous image of the Houthis' violations of human dignity, rights and life.”

In its statement, the government called on the international community and United Nations to "urgently press the Houthis to release the citizens held in the so-called quarantine."

It also stressed the need to take all necessary measures in dealing with this pandemic, where all those coming from abroad at the border crossings are checked to ensure that they are free from the symptoms of the virus.

Local sources accused the Houthis of transforming their checkpoints in areas under their control into “quarantines” that they will use as a new method to extort travelers.

The Houthis claim that they would force travelers into a 14-day quarantine period. Some people, however, refuted the allegation, saying they were able to reach Sanaa after they paid the Houthis to allow them to pass.

Yemeni officials have warned that the Houthis would take advantage of the global phobia over the coronavirus to further oppress the people.

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Arab World

Abadi’s Remarks on War against ISIS Stir Debate in Iraq

Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces prepare to fight ISIS in an area west of Mosul in 2017. (Getty Images)
Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces prepare to fight ISIS in an area west of Mosul in 2017. (Getty Images)
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Abadi’s Remarks on War against ISIS Stir Debate in Iraq

Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces prepare to fight ISIS in an area west of Mosul in 2017. (Getty Images)
Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces prepare to fight ISIS in an area west of Mosul in 2017. (Getty Images)

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's remarks about the fight against the ISIS terrorist group have stirred controversy in the country and sparked a Sunni-Shiite debate.

Abadi, who was in office from 2014 to 2018 at the peak of the fight against the group, described Iraq as being ruled by gangs. He explained that the political agreement that led to the formation of the current government, headed by Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, included a request against criminalizing belonging to ISIS.

In televised remarks, he revealed that he and head of the Badr organization Hadi al-Ameri had refused to sign the agreement.

At the same time, however, Abadi defended the militias, who had come under attack by MP Haybat al-Halbousi. Abadi said Halbousi was criticizing the “militias that made him return home after the fight against ISIS.”

Initially, Shiite forces of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework criticized Abadi’s statements, saying he was seeking political gains ahead of local elections that will be held towards the end of the year.

Halbousi, of the Progress Party of parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, slammed Abadi, saying he was never fit to serve as prime minister.

“Everyone recalls what the residents of these provinces had to endure after the security forces withdrew from them and ISIS seized full control,” he said in televised remarks.

People who wanted to escape from living under ISIS suffered after all exits from the mainly Sunni provinces were shut. This led to the kidnapping and the disappearance of thousands of civilians in those regions, he said.

Given his position as PM, Abadi was supposed to be held to account for these developments and the “sheer number of victims,” he went on to say.

After first denouncing the former PM, the Coordination Framework came to Abadi’s defense, questioning and rejecting Halbousi’s statements and saying it reserves the right to take legal action to “put an end to such petty lies.”

Abadi’s Nasr Coalition also said it reserves the right to take legal action against the lawmaker.

Meanwhile, the Progress Party parliamentary bloc slammed the former PM over his contentious statements.

“At a time when we are seeking to bolster security and stability in our country, strengthen unity among its people and shun all forms of extremism that is alien to our society, along returns such lamentable and shameful political rhetoric from figures who have adopted hate speech and resorted to harmful media statements,” it said.

It expressed its “categorical rejection” of Abadi’s remarks, adding: “We have not and will not forget all the dangerous crimes and human rights violations that took place during the operations to liberate regions from ISIS.”

It said: “Thousands of innocent people had gone missing or were arrested during the operations for committing no other crime than being held prisoner by terrorist groups” and for Baghdad turning them away when they sought safety.

It stressed that the “Iraqis remember the dark days in the liberated provinces.”

It recalled the images of displaced men, women and children amassing on the Bzaibiz bridge after Abadi issued orders to prevent their entry into Baghdad.

“The memory is full of other images and crimes, such as those committed in al-Razzaza, Baiji, al-Saqlawiyah, Samarra, Diyala, Salaheddine, Nineveh, al-Anbar, Kirkuk and Jurf al-Sakhir,” it continued.

It called on Abadi to cease making such divisive statements and to cease making claims against innocents, both dead or alive.

Arab World

Israel on Alert After Islamic Jihad Launches Military Exercises in Gaza

Al-Quds Brigades’ maneuvers in Gaza on Tuesday
Al-Quds Brigades’ maneuvers in Gaza on Tuesday
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Israel on Alert After Islamic Jihad Launches Military Exercises in Gaza

Al-Quds Brigades’ maneuvers in Gaza on Tuesday
Al-Quds Brigades’ maneuvers in Gaza on Tuesday

The Israeli Army said it raised the state of alert around the Gaza Strip after the Islamic Jihad movement started on Tuesday military exercises in the coastal enclave.

“Due to the presence of increased risks, the Home Front Command has activated the alert for the area around Gaza after the Islamic Jihad movement began offensive drills, including firing a barrage of rockets towards the Mediterranean,” it said.

Al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, announced that its exercise simulated raids on Israeli military sites and fortifications using live ammunition and combined arms, including special forces, rockets, artillery, armor, and intelligence units.

On Tuesday, the exercises activated sirens at the Home Front Command’s internal application after suspicions that one of the rockets launched by Al-Quds Brigade had fell near the Zikim coasts, Israeli media outlets said.

But an Israeli army spokesperson said the rockets were aimed at the sea and did not cross into Israeli territory.

Arab World

Iraq Arrests 24 People for Promoting Banned Baath Party

Security forces are seen at Baghdad's Tahrir square. (dpa)
Security forces are seen at Baghdad's Tahrir square. (dpa)
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Iraq Arrests 24 People for Promoting Banned Baath Party

Security forces are seen at Baghdad's Tahrir square. (dpa)
Security forces are seen at Baghdad's Tahrir square. (dpa)

Iraq’s national security agency announced on Tuesday the arrest of 24 people for promoting the dissolved Baath party.

In a statement, the agency said it had carried out a widescale campaign in various regions after receiving accurate intelligence information about people promoting the banned party.

In Kirkuk, intelligence efforts and tips from citizens led to the arrest of 13 people for belonging to and promoting the party, it added.

The campaign also included the al-Anbar, Baghdad, Karbala and Nineveh provinces.

Eleven people were arrested in a matter of hours, continued the agency.

Some individuals had recorded videos of themselves in which they glorified the former regime, while others have been accused of putting up posters in support of the Baath in public places.

The arrests were made in line with judicial orders and the law related to the ban of the party, stressed the agency.

All the detainees have been referred to the judiciary.

The constitution banned former ruler Saddam Hussein’s Baath party in 2005 and in 2016, the parliament ratified a law that criminalizes membership in and the promotion of the party.

Arab World

UN Food Agency: 1 in 5 Children Who Arrive in South Sudan from Sudan Are Malnourished

Sudanese move past trucks in Shendi, 190 kilometers (120 miles) from Khartoum, on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
Sudanese move past trucks in Shendi, 190 kilometers (120 miles) from Khartoum, on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
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UN Food Agency: 1 in 5 Children Who Arrive in South Sudan from Sudan Are Malnourished

Sudanese move past trucks in Shendi, 190 kilometers (120 miles) from Khartoum, on September 21, 2023. (AFP)
Sudanese move past trucks in Shendi, 190 kilometers (120 miles) from Khartoum, on September 21, 2023. (AFP)

At least one in five children arriving in South Sudan from Sudan are malnourished and more than 90% of arrivals haven’t eaten in days, the UN food agency said Tuesday.

The World Food Program said that nearly 300,000 people have arrived in South Sudan in the last five months — the majority of whom are South Sudanese. South Sudan plunged into civil war in 2013, forcing thousands of its citizens to flee to neighboring countries, including Sudan.

“We are seeing families leave one disaster for another as they flee danger in Sudan only to find despair in South Sudan,” says Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP’s country director in South Sudan.

Sudan plunged into chaos in mid-April when long-simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Force paramilitary, or RSF, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, escalated into open warfare.

The WFP is appealing for additional funding of more than $120 million to meet humanitarian needs at the border.

The agency says with the start of the rainy season, there’s flooding that has contributed to the spread of disease.

“Those arriving today are in an even more vulnerable condition than families that fled in the early weeks of the conflict,” a WFP statement said.

The UN estimates that 5,000 people have been killed and more than 12,000 others wounded since the conflict in Sudan started in mid-April.

More than 5.2 million people have fled their homes, including more than 1 million who crossed into Sudan’s neighboring countries. Half of the country’s population — around 25 million people — needs humanitarian assistance, including about 6.3 million who are “one step away from famine,” according to UN humanitarian officials.

Arab World

Int'l Efforts to Resolve Lebanon’s Crisis Stumble at Local Intransigence

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)
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Int'l Efforts to Resolve Lebanon’s Crisis Stumble at Local Intransigence

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh last week. (SPA)

International efforts to resolve the presidential vacuum in Lebanon are stumbling at the intransigence of the local parties, which has so far prevented a tangible breakthrough.

French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected to visit Beirut this month in continuation of Paris' efforts to help the country’s disputing parties to agree on a new president for the republic.

Eleven months after the expiry of President Michel Aoun’s term, Lebanon’s political parties are still unable to elect a successor.

The Hezbollah party and Amal Movement are insisting on nominating the head of the Marada movement, former Minister Suleiman Franjieh, while the opposition is asking Speaker Nabih Berri to call for successive electoral sessions that would ultimately end with the election of a new president.

Member of the Lebanese Forces MP Fadi Karam pointed to “continuous, diverse and extensive initiatives” to end the crisis, the latest of which has been from Qatar.

He added: “It would have been more beneficial for the internal parties to resort to the constitution and apply it instead of waiting for external initiatives.”

In a radio interview, Karam stressed that the Qatari initiative was not aimed at electing Army Commander General Joseph Aoun as president, adding that the Qataris were “open to all possibilities.”

Despite the multitude of initiatives, the issue is still being met with “internal intransigence” and “rigidity in positions,” according to parliamentary sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

They revealed that the internal political forces “did not show sufficient flexibility in dealing with these efforts.”

This assessment was confirmed by MP Ghassan Skaff, who said on X that the Qatari and French efforts will not succeed if they are not reciprocated by the Lebanese parties.

Arab World

Iraq: Head of Mosul Diocese Calls for Int’l Probe into Wedding Hall Fire

People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)
People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)
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Iraq: Head of Mosul Diocese Calls for Int’l Probe into Wedding Hall Fire

People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)
People light candles in front of pictures of some victims of the wedding hall fire in Al-Hamdaniya. (Reuters)

The Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, Benedictus Younan Hanno, described the results of an investigation announced by the Interior Ministry on a fire at a wedding hall in Al-Hamdaniya as “shameful,” questioning the measures taken by the government authorities in dismissing some heads of the directorates of the district.

Scores of panicked guests surged for the exits last week in the Haitham Royal Wedding Hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.

Iraq released the results of its probe on Sunday saying unsafe fireworks were the main reason that caused the deadly fire.

On Monday, the Nineveh Heath Department updated the death toll to 113, including 41 who have not been identified yet. It said 12 people who suffered severe burns were sent for treatment abroad and eight will follow.

In a press conference on Sunday evening, the archbishop rejected the outcome of the probe, saying: “There are things that don’t make sense in this investigation... I feel that there are political conspiracies behind these dismissals.”

Some reports indicated that most of the sacked employees belonged to the Christian community and other minorities. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that some “armed groups close to the Catholic Church fear that the fire will be used as a pretext to settle scores and dismiss local Christian officials in favor of their opponents from other sects and minorities.”

Hanno called for “an international investigation based on clear facts and strategy.” He continued: “We are with the state in expelling any corrupt manager with evidence and documents. But we give the authorities 24 hours to withdraw this decision and take matters seriously.”

The investigative committee formed by the federal authorities recommended the dismissal of the mayor of Hamdaniya, the town’s municipal director, the director of tourism classification in Nineveh Governorate, the director of Hamdaniya Electricity and the director of the Fire and Safety Directorate in the Civil Defense Directorate in Nineveh, as well as the referral of the director of civil defense in the governorate to a specialized committee.

On Saturday, the head of the investigation committee, Major General Saad Al-Dulaimi, said that the venue was overcrowded, and roofed with flammable sandwich panels and decorations made from flammable materials.

“The committee noticed that there were no emergency doors other than the small and insufficient service doors, and no safety supplies, which led to a large fire and heavy losses among the people in the hall,” he stated.

Arab World

Israel Mulls De-Escalation Measures in Gaza

Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)
Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)
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Israel Mulls De-Escalation Measures in Gaza

Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)
Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip enter from the Erez Crossing into Israel after it reopened on September 28. (AFP)

Israel is considering a series of measures to de-escalate tension in the Gaza Strip and prevent a potential escalation.

Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported that Israel is mulling increasing workers’ permits to Israel and easing the conditions for bringing goods into the Strip.

Meanwhile, Israel is holding talks with Qatar with the aim of transferring financial aid to “Hamas” to pay the salaries of its employees.

The government fears that any escalation in Gaza would undermine the ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia, according to the newspaper.

These measures are part of talks that kicked off two weeks ago in an attempt by mediators to de-escalate tension with Gaza after “Hamas” resumed protests near the border before it suspended them in parallel with a progress in talks.

Israel estimates that Hamas initiated the protests and mounted pressures in efforts to enhance the economic situation.

A Western diplomat who recently visited the Gaza Strip told the newspaper that these pressures ensue from the deteriorating economic distress in Gaza, the cut-off of international aid to residents, and the increasing challenges in the Strip.

The Israeli government is considering increasing entry permits for Gazan workers to Israel from 15,000 to 20,000 and easing the conditions for bringing goods into the Strip.

Haaretz said that the government components including the far-right wing approve that the current government is endorsing the policy of the former government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to present this issue for discussion in the government and to promote these measures in order to maintain calm on the Palestinian lands amid ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia.

US President Joe Biden told Netanyahu during their meeting in New York last week that preventing violent escalation against the Palestinians would help the US administration strengthen communications with Saudi Arabia.

Arab World

Tunisia Needs 550 Million Dinars to Reduce Disaster Risk

Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
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Tunisia Needs 550 Million Dinars to Reduce Disaster Risk

Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)
Tunisia's President Kais Saied shakes hands with newly appointed Tunisian Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, in Tunis, Tunisia August 1, 2023. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Reuters)

The Tunisian government on Monday said it needs 550 million dinars to implement its national strategy of Disaster Risk Reduction (2018-2030).

“In order to achieve this objective, Tunisia has already started implementing the Integrated Program for Disaster Resilience with a budget of 360 million dinars,” said Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani in a speech read out by Minister of the Environment, Leila Chikhaoui, at the opening of the Arab-African Conference on Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction.

He said the program aims to strengthen institutional coordination for the management of climate and disaster risks through the creation of a national platform for disaster risk reduction and the installation of an early warning system.

The PM reiterated the importance of working together in solidarity to support international efforts to protect human lives, property and infrastructure.

In the past few weeks, the North African region was hit by natural disasters that have wreaked havoc and chaos in Libya and Morocco.

Thousands died in Derna, eastern Libya, when torrents and floods - caused by powerful Storm Daniel, swept away entire neighborhoods and bodies into the sea.

A devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Morocco last month, killing at least 3,000 people and leveling dozens of villages in a rugged mountainous area.

The Tunisian Minister of Environment and Local Development said her country will suffer annual losses of 427.8 million dinars ($138 million) if the national strategy for disaster risk reduction is not implemented.

“Tunisia is considered a country that is highly vulnerable to climate change and disasters due to its geographical location,” she stressed.

Arab World

Algeria Says Niger Accepted Mediation Offer

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)
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Algeria Says Niger Accepted Mediation Offer

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (dpa)

Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf is preparing to visit Niamey, the capital of Niger, to discuss the arrangements for the Algerian mediation in the country’s crisis, according to Algeria’s foreign ministry.

Niger has accepted an Algerian offer to mediate in its political crisis, the ministry said.

Algeria received Niger's official notification of its acceptance of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's mediation initiative, the ministry added in a statement read out on national television.

Algiers said: "The acceptance of the Algerian initiative strengthens the prospect of a political solution to this crisis".

The mediation would "pave the way" towards a "peaceful" resolution of the crisis, it added, saying such an outcome is in the interest "of the entire region".

Tebboune said Attaf will be "visiting Niamey as soon as possible with the aim of launching discussions ... with all stakeholders".

On August 23, Attaf was mandated by Tebboune to go on a diplomatic tour to Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana, which form part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to help find a solution to the crisis in Niger.

Following the coup in Niger, Algeria announced its rejection of any military intervention and stressed the necessity to return to legitimacy.

Algeria shares a 1,000-km southern land border with Niger. The border is considered a haven for extremist Islamist groups, drugs and weapons traffickers, and networks to smuggle illegal migrants to north Algeria to go from there to the European shores.

At the end of August, Algeria proposed a six-month transitional period led by a civilian to solve the crisis in Niger. However, Niger's junta leader General Abdourahmane Tiani said the country will pursue a transition process which will last not more than three years.

The Algerian FM added that the two envoys to Algeria - whether the ambassador in Niamey or the Secretary General of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Lounes Magramane - didn’t meet the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Attaf didn’t reveal if Bazoum would be part of the solution according to the mediation plan.

Professor of political science and international relations and Sahel affairs expert, Algerian Mohamed Abdelly, said Algeria’s plan to resolve the conflict can achieve unanimity among all parties.

Yet, he remarked that the six-month plan offers a short period that isn’t enough to resolve the current disputes.

Arab World

Tunisia Rejects EU Financial Aid, Casting Doubt on an Immigration Deal 

Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))
Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))
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Tunisia Rejects EU Financial Aid, Casting Doubt on an Immigration Deal 

Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))
Italian Coast Guard personnel prepare to tow boats used to carry migrants, near the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, southern Italy, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (LaPresse via AP))

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Monday rejected financial support announced by the European Union in September, saying the amount is small and goes against a deal signed three months ago.

Saied's move could undermine the "strategic partnership" from July that includes measures on combating human traffickers and tightening borders, and which came during a sharp increase in boats heading to Europe from the North African nation.

The European Commission last month said it would disburse 127 million euros ($133 million) in aid to Tunisia as part of the deal to fight illegal immigration from Africa to Europe.

"Tunisia rejects what the EU announced, not because of the small amount ... but because the proposal conflicts with the memorandum of understanding signed in July," Saied said.

The July deal included a pledge of 1 billion euros in aid to Tunisia to help its battered economy, rescue state finances and deal with the migration crisis.

The smaller amount announced by Europe 10 days ago, however, has frustrated Tunisian authorities struggling to improve public finances and raised fears among credit rating agencies that the government could default on foreign debts in coming months.

The dispute between the two parties has coincided with the arrival of record numbers of migrants from Tunisia and North Africa to Italy's island of Lampedusa.

Tunisia last week postponed a visit by a delegation from the European Commission to discuss the details of the migration agreement.

Last month it also denied the entry of five members of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee for meetings over the political situation in Tunisia, saying it would not allow interference in its affairs.