Yemen Could Face 'Catastrophic' Food Situation as Pandemic Worsens, Warns FAO

A Yemeni man wearing a scarf over his face as a protective measure against the novel coronavirus walks in a market in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. (AFP)
A Yemeni man wearing a scarf over his face as a protective measure against the novel coronavirus walks in a market in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. (AFP)
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Yemen Could Face 'Catastrophic' Food Situation as Pandemic Worsens, Warns FAO

A Yemeni man wearing a scarf over his face as a protective measure against the novel coronavirus walks in a market in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. (AFP)
A Yemeni man wearing a scarf over his face as a protective measure against the novel coronavirus walks in a market in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. (AFP)

Yemen, already pushed to the brink of famine by a five-year war, could see a “catastrophic” food security situation due to the coronavirus pandemic and lower remittances from the Gulf, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.

Some 80 percent of Yemen’s population are reliant on aid and millions face hunger.

“The health system was already under heavy stress and will now be overwhelmed if COVID-19 continues to spread and in addition it will affect the movement of people and the movement of goods,” Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, the FAO’s assistant director-general and regional representative for the Near East and North Africa, told Reuters.

“That situation could be really catastrophic if all the elements of worst case scenarios come to be but let’s hope not and the UN are working on avoiding that.”

Lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus are likely to impact humanitarian supply chains keeping a large part of the population fed, the UN agency said in a report on Monday.

The legitimate government has reported 128 COVID-19 infections with 20 deaths in areas under its control. The Iran-backed Houthi militias have announced four cases in areas under their control with one death, both in Sanaa.

“Reports on the ground indicate a large number of coronavirus cases in areas under the Houthis’ control and hiding this information is completely unacceptable,” Minister of Local Administration Abdul Raqib Fath told a news conference on Sunday.

He urged the World Health Organization and the international community to pressure the Houthis about declaring cases.

The WHO said last Monday the virus was circulating undetected in Yemen, increasing the likelihood of a devastating outbreak among a malnourished population that would overwhelm a shattered health system with limited testing capacity.

The Aden-based government’s health minister said Yemen urgently needed financial assistance and protective gear for health workers in addition to ventilators, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and swab test equipment.

There are currently 15.9 million Yemenis classified as food insecure out of a population of some 28 million.

The FAO does not currently have an estimate as to how much bigger that number could get if the disease continues to spread but it continues to monitor the situation.

The United States said on May 6 it would provide $225 million to the World Food Program (WFP) for Yemen, including for reduced operations in the north.

The WFP had said it would halve aid in Houthi-held areas from mid-April over donor concerns that the militias are hindering aid deliveries.

The FAO said Yemen would also be hit by an expected decline in remittances from Yemenis in Gulf countries, which amounted to $3.8 billion in 2019.

“This is a significant source of income for the country that may be considerably reduced,” Ould Ahmed said.

United Nations envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said on Thursday that “significant progress” has been made toward cementing a temporary truce prompted by the coronavirus pandemic and to pave the way for a resumption of stalled peace talks.



Palestinian President Calls for Salvaging Two-State Solution

Palestinian President during his speech at the UN General Assembly (AFP)
Palestinian President during his speech at the UN General Assembly (AFP)
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Palestinian President Calls for Salvaging Two-State Solution

Palestinian President during his speech at the UN General Assembly (AFP)
Palestinian President during his speech at the UN General Assembly (AFP)

The Palestinian President called on the United Nations General Assembly to undertake the necessary arrangements to convene a peace conference, which may be the "last opportunity to salvage the two-state solution."

Abbas asserted Thursday the need to "prevent the situation from deteriorating more seriously, threatening the security and stability of our region and the entire world."

Speaking at the 78th session of the General Assembly, Abbas stated that Israel is systematically destroying the two-state solution, calling on the UN to take deterrent measures against Israel until it fulfills its obligations.

He pointed out that Palestine would persist in pursuing accountability and justice at the relevant international bodies against Tel Aviv because of the continued Israeli occupation of the land and against everyone who had a role in the catastrophe.

- Commemorating the Nakba

Abbas also called to criminalize the denial of Palestinian Nakba and designate May 15 of each year as an international day to commemorate its anniversary and the lives of about 950,000 Palestinians who were killed in massacres committed by Zionist gangs and whose villages were demolished and who were forcibly displaced from their homes.

Abbas urged UN Member States, each in its national capacity, to take practical steps based on the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and international law.

He also called on the states that have yet to recognize Palestine to declare their recognition and for Palestine to be admitted to full membership in the UN.

- A Yemeni warning

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, warned against any complacency from the international community or dealing with the Houthi militia as de facto authorities, which will lead to eradicating this behavior.

He emphasized that such an approach will perpetuate repression and the violation of public freedoms.

"We reaffirm the need to have the right guarantees for peace ... pursuant to the Saudi initiative," based on justice and fairness, he continued.

Any peace agreement or trust-building measures should be targeted towards alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people.

- Lebanese Challenges

The proceedings of the General Assembly continued until late Wednesday night, during which Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati delivered his speech.

Mikati looked forward to the Lebanese Parliament exercising its sovereign rule by electing a president in the coming period, a head of state around whom the Lebanese would unite and who would enshrine the return of the republic.

He emphasized Lebanon's unique cross-border challenges with neighboring Syria, criticizing the international community's inability to find sustainable solutions to the displacement of Syrian refugees.

The Prime Minister argued that one of Lebanon's primary challenges was filling the presidential void, along with instituting reforms needed to achieve economic recovery, ease the financial crisis, and promote institutional and political stability in the country.

"Twelve years into the Syrian crisis, Lebanon is still bearing the burden of successive waves of displacement, with far-reaching economic and social repercussions on all aspects of life, thus threatening Lebanon's very existence," he said.

Mikati also issued renewed criticism of Israel's continued occupation of southern Lebanon, daily violations of Lebanese sovereignty, and its violation of Security Council resolution 1701.

- Iran's Nuclear Program

Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi informed reporters in New York that relations with the US could progress if President Joe Biden's administration showed a willingness to return to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of 2015.

Raisi considered that the first step would be easing sanctions.

The President stated that US officials have reached out through several channels expressing their desire for dialogue, but Iran believes tangible actions should back this.

Iran's nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes and is used in agriculture and the oil and gas infrastructure, he asserted, denying reports suggesting that Iran has increased enrichment levels.

When asked about IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, Raisi confirmed they had spoken in Tehran earlier in March, stressing that his country cooperates with the agency.

He condemned the European countries' (E3) announcement to maintain sanctions on Iran, originally scheduled to end in October, under the 2015 nuclear deal.

- Illegal Migration

Italy's far-right prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said she will not allow the country to become "Europe's refugee camp" after thousands of people seeking refuge landed on its shores.

- Libya's ordeal

The Libyan Minister of Youth of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Fathallah al-Zeni, also delivered a speech on behalf of the Head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, who apologized for not participating due to the floods that struck the eastern regions of Libya.

Zeni indicated that Libyans and the world woke up on Sunday, September 10, to a terrible scene and a major disaster in Derna, as thousands died or went missing.

He emphasized that the size of the disaster exceeded all local capabilities.


Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Fighter in Northern West Bank Raid 

A bullet hole is seen in a shop window following an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP)
A bullet hole is seen in a shop window following an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP)
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Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Fighter in Northern West Bank Raid 

A bullet hole is seen in a shop window following an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP)
A bullet hole is seen in a shop window following an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp, West Bank, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP)

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian militant during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the seventh person killed this week as President Mahmoud Abbas sought to revive statehood talks amid efforts to further integrate Israel into the Middle East.

The militant Islamic Jihad group claimed the 18-year-old as a member. In a statement, they said he was shot while confronting Israeli soldiers who raided the village of Kafr Dan near the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

The Israeli military said soldiers opened fire at suspects who shot at and hurled an explosive device at its forces during a weapons search operation in Kafr Dan. "A hit was identified," it said in a statement.

Violence in the West Bank violence has surged for over a year, with stepped up Israeli military raids, increased settler assaults on Palestinian villages and a spate of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.

On Tuesday, three Palestinians were killed during a military raid on Jenin, among them a 15-year-old who was shot by Israeli special forces after he discovered them as he was leaving his grandfather's house, according to rights group Defense for Children International - Palestine.

Israel occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state, in a 1967 Middle East war. It has since built Jewish settlements there that most countries deem illegal.

The expansion of settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government have strained ties between the Israeli leader and President Joe Biden, who met in New York this week for the first time since Netanyahu returned to power in December.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, President Abbas said Middle East peace was achievable only when Palestinians achieve "their full rights." He called on the UN to convene a peace conference to "salvage the two-state solution."


Yemen’s Alimi at UN: No More Concessions to Houthis

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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Yemen’s Alimi at UN: No More Concessions to Houthis

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Rashad al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), strongly warned against his country going back to a time of slavery due to the Houthi group’s influence.

He emphasized the need for long-lasting peace based on established agreements and made it clear that there would be no new compromises with the Houthi group that controls northern Yemen.

Alimi’s warnings at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York came as the Houthis showcased in Sanaa their military power on the anniversary of taking over the capital.

Their leaders proudly talked about their missiles and drones, claiming that they could threaten all parts of Yemen and nearby regions.

Alimi stated that hopes are renewed with the resumption of Saudi and Omani efforts to compel Houthis to respect popular, regional, and international will.

He stressed that the goal of any sustainable peace efforts must involve broad partnership without discrimination or exclusion, aiming to establish a brighter future for Yemen.

The PLC chairman emphasized that his leadership and the Yemeni government have no further concessions to make, expressing skepticism about the intentions of the Houthi group, which he believed could be foreseen for decades to come.

Alimi warned against his country becoming a hub for exporting terrorism.

“Any leniency from the international community or compromising the legal status of the state, or even dealing with militias as an established authority, would inevitably turn the suppression and violation of public freedoms into an inescapable behavior,” said Alimi.

He also pointed to the group’s disregard for all previous deals, including the Stockholm Agreement.


US Urges Libyans to Form a ‘Unified Army’

The US delegation during the meeting of the Libyan commander-in-chief (US Embassy)
The US delegation during the meeting of the Libyan commander-in-chief (US Embassy)
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US Urges Libyans to Form a ‘Unified Army’

The US delegation during the meeting of the Libyan commander-in-chief (US Embassy)
The US delegation during the meeting of the Libyan commander-in-chief (US Embassy)

US Africa Command (AFRICOM) commander General Micheal Langley and the US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland reiterated the call for the formation of a unified government in Libya, asserting that the military—east and west—can jointly support relief efforts in flood affected areas.

The US officials met with the chairman of the Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, and reiterated Washington's support for Libyan flood relief efforts.

"The United States stands with the Libyan people in their calls for national unity in the wake of the tragedy in eastern Libya."

Later, Langley addressed with the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army, Mohammed al-Haddad, the Libyan people's response to the devastation caused by Storm Daniel, and asserted that the strongest defense Libya has is unity.

They discussed how the East and West military can jointly support relief efforts in flood-affected areas and how the United States can help.

Langley said that the efforts towards military reunification, starting with a joint east-west force, are vital to secure the peace and stability that the Libyan people deserve.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Thursday that more than 43,000 individuals have been displaced due to the recent devastating floods in eastern Libya, namely Derna.

The organization warned that the shortage of water supply is reportedly prompting many displaced residents to leave Derna, which suffered the most extensive damage in the region, and to relocate to other municipalities.

It added that a lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced people out of Derna, noting that urgent needs include food, drinking water and mental health and psychosocial support.

Furthermore, senior analyst of the Crisis Group Claudia Gazzini interviewed the former mayor of Derna, Abdelmonem al-Gaithi, sacked after the floods. Gaithi asked the international community to support the creation of a global technical commission of inquiry to determine what happened in the city.

In addition, the spokesman for the Libyan Commander-in-Chief, Major General Ahmed al-Mismari, denied any hostility towards journalists.

Mismari told Asharq Al-Awsat that some journalists are causing chaos during rescue operations, insisting on conducting interviews during rescue operations, which prompted authorities to order them to stay away from the area, given concerns about the spread of diseases.

He denied claims that international rescue teams were banned from entering Derna, highlighting that the army welcomes everyone providing humanitarian and medical aid.

He condemned "the political exploitation" of the Derna disaster.


Israel Strikes Alleged Syrian Military Structures. It Says the Buildings Violated a 1974 Cease-fire

An Israeli tank is positioned near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip during clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, as it is seen from the Israeli side September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
An Israeli tank is positioned near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip during clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, as it is seen from the Israeli side September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Israel Strikes Alleged Syrian Military Structures. It Says the Buildings Violated a 1974 Cease-fire

An Israeli tank is positioned near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip during clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, as it is seen from the Israeli side September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
An Israeli tank is positioned near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip during clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers, as it is seen from the Israeli side September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

The Israeli military said tanks struck two structures inside a demilitarized zone in Syria on Thursday, claiming the buildings violated a half-century-old cease-fire agreement between the two countries.
The structures, it said, were being used by the Syrian military, amounting to what the army called a “clear violation” of the 1974 cease-fire. The Israeli army did not provide any information on what the structures were used for or when they were built, The Associated Press said.
In Syria, the pro-government Sham FM radio station said Israel’s military struck an area on the edge of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights in the village of Hadar. It said there were no casualties.
The 1974 agreement established a demilitarized separation zone between Israeli and Syrian forces, stationing a UN peacekeeping force there to maintain calm.
Assaf Orion, a retired Israeli general and research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, said the strike did not mark a major escalation. The Israeli military often strikes what it says are Iranian-linked targets in Syria.
“It’s just a small match in a much larger fireworks show,” Orion said.
He said both the structures and the Israeli strike violated the cease-fire agreement, which bans both sides from military activity in the demilitarized territory.
The agreement is credited with officially ending the 1973 Mideast war, when a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria launched an attack on Israel on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. Israel is marking the 50th anniversary of the war next week, based on the Hebrew calendar.
Israel and Syria are bitter enemies, though the cease-fire has largely held for the past five decades.
Also on Thursday, Syrian media reported that Israeli drones targeted two people riding a motorcycle in the Syrian capital of Damascus.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the Israeli strike killed two members of Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group backed by Iran, near the village of Beit Jin in southern Syria.
Islamic Jihad official Ismail Abu-Mujahed denied that any of their operatives were killed in southern Syria.
The Israeli army declined to comment on the reports.


Sudan's Rival Military Leaders Give Competing Addresses to UN

Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
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Sudan's Rival Military Leaders Give Competing Addresses to UN

Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, addresses the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

The heads of Sudan's rival military factions gave competing addresses to the United Nations on Thursday, one from the podium at UN headquarters in New York and the other in a rare video recording from an undisclosed location.
Army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, speaking at the United Nations following a string of foreign trips, called on the international community to designate the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organization and to counter its sponsors outside Sudan's borders, Reuters said.
RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, said in a video message that his forces were fully prepared for a ceasefire and comprehensive political talks to end the conflict.
Both sides blamed the other for starting the war that erupted in mid-April in Khartoum and has spread to other parts of the country including the western region of Darfur, displacing more than 5 million people and threatening to destabilize the region.
Most of Hemedti's recent communications have been audio messages, and his whereabouts have been a source of speculation.
In the video released on Thursday shortly before Burhan spoke, Hemedti appeared in military uniform, seated behind a desk with a Sudanese national flag behind him as he read out his speech. His location was not clear.
"Today we renew our commitment to the peaceful process to put a halt to this war," Hemedti said. "The RSF are fully prepared for a ceasefire throughout Sudan to allow the passage of humanitarian aid ... and to start serious and comprehensive political talks."
FAILED CEASEFIRES
Previous assertions by the army and the RSF that they are seeking a solution to the conflict, as well as announcements of ceasefires by both sides, have failed to stop bloodshed and the deepening of a humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
"We are still extending our hands for peace, to stop this war and the suffering of our people," said Burhan, adding that the army remained committed to withdrawing from politics in a transition to civilian rule.
But he also called for the RSF to be labeled a terrorist group and said it was backed by regional and international backers, without naming any. "There is a need to firmly address their sponsors," he said.
Sudan's war broke out over plans to formally integrate the RSF into the army as part of a political transition, four years after the overthrow of former leader Omar al-Bashir during a popular uprising. The army and RSF staged a coup together in 2021 before coming to blows.
Witnesses say the army has used heavy artillery and air strikes that have caused casualties in residential districts of Khartoum and other cities, and that the RSF has inflicted widespread looting and sexual violence on residents as well as participating in ethnically targeted attacks in Darfur.
Saudi Arabia and the United States have tried to secure a lasting ceasefire in Sudan but the process stalled amid parallel international initiatives in Africa and the Middle East.


IOM: At Least 43,059 People Displaced by Libya Floods

People sit among the rubble in Libya's eastern city of Derna on September 20, 2023, following a deadly flash flood. (Photo by Abu Bakr AL-SOUSSI / AFP)
People sit among the rubble in Libya's eastern city of Derna on September 20, 2023, following a deadly flash flood. (Photo by Abu Bakr AL-SOUSSI / AFP)
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IOM: At Least 43,059 People Displaced by Libya Floods

People sit among the rubble in Libya's eastern city of Derna on September 20, 2023, following a deadly flash flood. (Photo by Abu Bakr AL-SOUSSI / AFP)
People sit among the rubble in Libya's eastern city of Derna on September 20, 2023, following a deadly flash flood. (Photo by Abu Bakr AL-SOUSSI / AFP)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Thursday at least 43,059 people have been displaced by severe floods in northeastern Libya.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the IOM added that the lack of clean water supplies appeared to be driving many displaced people out of Derna to municipalities to the east and west of the Mediterranean city.

The country’s chief prosecutor, meanwhile, vowed to take “serious measures” to deliver justice for the victims of the floods, which devastated Derna more than a week ago.

Thousands of people were killed, with many dead still under the rubble or at sea, according to search teams. Government officials and aid agencies have given varied death tolls ranging from about 4,000 to over 11,000.

Local authorities said they have isolated the worst damaged part of Derna amid growing concerns about potential infection by waterborne diseases. Health authorities have launched a vaccination campaign that initially targeted search and rescue teamed along with children in Derna and other impacted areas.


'Like a Grave': Syrians Shelter Underground

Ahmad Khalil, 53, sits with his family in a cave he carved manually with his children in five years, near his original home in the mostly abandoned village of Kansafra, on September 10, 2023. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Ahmad Khalil, 53, sits with his family in a cave he carved manually with his children in five years, near his original home in the mostly abandoned village of Kansafra, on September 10, 2023. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
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'Like a Grave': Syrians Shelter Underground

Ahmad Khalil, 53, sits with his family in a cave he carved manually with his children in five years, near his original home in the mostly abandoned village of Kansafra, on September 10, 2023. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
Ahmad Khalil, 53, sits with his family in a cave he carved manually with his children in five years, near his original home in the mostly abandoned village of Kansafra, on September 10, 2023. (Photo by Omar HAJ KADOUR / AFP)

In a battered village in Syria's last main opposition bastion, one resident has hewn a bomb shelter out of rock to stay on his land and protect his family from attacks.

Kansafra, in the south of Idlib province, often comes under Syrian army fire targeting militants who control the area, while Russian warplanes circle above and carry out airstrikes in support of ally Damascus.

Many families have fled the village, located less than two kilometers from the front lines.

Now, just a few shops remain open, while heavily damaged buildings line the streets.

But Ahmad Khalil, 53, would not leave.

"People keep telling us to go to a camp for displaced people, but these camps are a thousand times worse," he said.

Khalil carved out the shelter next to his house in 2017.

Winding, narrow steps lead down to a small room with a low, curved roof, illuminated with sunlight from a shaft and a dim lamp.

"I prefer to stay here under the bombs," he said, even though the shelter is "like a grave".

held Idlib region in Syria's northwest is home to about three million people, around half of them displaced from other parts of the country during more than a decade of conflict.

Many live in impoverished tented settlements, dependent on international aid.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham controls swathes of Idlib, as well as parts of the adjacent provinces of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks, so Khalil's family has been spending more time underground.

Whenever they hear shelling or warplanes, they run to the shelter.

"There are always aircraft flying over the village and the area, it never stops. The life we lead is worse than death," said Khalil, who has two wives and seven children.

Mostly bereft of furniture, the shelter is covered with basic floor mats. Jars of vine leaves and other fermented vegetables are stored in the cool of the underground cave.

Buying bread means a walk to the nearest shop, at constant risk of attack.

In the family's somber shelter, two of Khalil's young sons played with toys on the ground.

"My children dream of living like any other children -- of going out and playing outside," said the father.

But here, "there are no other children for them to play with... and the entire region is in ruins," he added.

"This is no life."


Egyptian, Iranian Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral Relations in New York

Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian during their meeting in New York (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian during their meeting in New York (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egyptian, Iranian Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral Relations in New York

Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian during their meeting in New York (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian during their meeting in New York (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt's Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, received his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, at Egypt's permanent mission to the UN in New York on Wednesday.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the meeting addressed bilateral ties and explored the foundations and guidelines governing them.

The meeting aimed to develop relations to serve the interests of both the Egyptian and Iranian peoples, founded on principles of mutual respect, good neighborliness, cooperation, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

The Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized his country's aspiration to promote its relationship with Egypt, restoring it to its normal path in line with the history and civilization of the two countries.

He highlighted that the meeting is an essential step toward normalizing relations.

The meeting also tackled several regional issues, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said.

Both sides affirmed their aspiration to achieve stability and enhance security in their regional environment.

Shoukry pointed out that the complexity of the region's crises cast dangerous shadows over the stability and living conditions of its people.

He underlined the importance of cooperation with all countries in the region in the face of ongoing instability.

Both ministers agreed to maintain communication and dialogue on various topics of mutual interest at bilateral, regional, and international levels.


Int’l Support Grows for Beirut Port Blast Fact-Finding Mission

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk
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Int’l Support Grows for Beirut Port Blast Fact-Finding Mission

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk

A deadlock in the judicial probe into the Beirut port explosion, which has persisted for nearly two years, has prompted discussions of an international initiative to form a fact-finding mission.

This initiative aims to break the judicial paralysis and rekindle hope for the families seeking the truth and an understanding of the underlying causes of the catastrophe that had taken place.

During a recent session held in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called for the necessity of international action regarding the August 4, 2020, explosion at the Beirut port that killed at least 220 people, wounded thousands, and damaged swathes of the city.

The blast was set off by a fire at a warehouse detonating hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate.

Türk denounced the lack of accountability on the part of Lebanese authorities regarding those involved in the blast.

On the occasion of the 78th UN General Assembly session, 67 Lebanese lawmakers signed a petition and sent it to the United Nations, non-governmental groups, and human rights organizations.

They asked the UN to help Lebanon create a commission to investigate the blast.

This action received support from the victims’ families, who had also collectively sent a similar petition to the ambassadors of major countries, urging them to speed up the formation of the commission.

A group representing the families of those affected by the port blast, along with lawyer Camille Abu Sleiman, had started talking to ambassadors from countries with permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

They want to encourage the establishment of a fact-finding mission and present the petition, which most members of the Lebanese parliament have signed.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abu Sleiman explained that he was hopeful.

He mentioned that this mission could be set up in different ways, either through a decision by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Security Council, or the General Assembly.