عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Jordan Warns against Easing Virus Restrictions

Jordanian expatriates return to the country. (Petra news agency)
Jordanian expatriates return to the country. (Petra news agency)
TT
TT

Jordan Warns against Easing Virus Restrictions

Jordanian expatriates return to the country. (Petra news agency)
Jordanian expatriates return to the country. (Petra news agency)

For the fifth consecutive day, Jordan announced that it had not reported any new COVID-19 cases among residents. It registered three among expatriates, bringing the total caseload to 1,176 since the outbreak of the pandemic.

According to a statement by the government and the Ministry of Health, the three new cases include two Jordanian citizens, who have recently returned from Saudi Arabia and were residing at quarantine-designated hotels, and a Jordanian truck driver, who was tested at the Al-Omari border crossing.

It said five patients have recovered and were discharged from Prince Hamzah Hospital, and a total of 5,808 lab tests were carried out, bringing the total to 460,383.

However, the Health Ministry warned that the danger of the pandemic is still present, calling on everyone to adhere to preventive measures, wear masks, practice social distancing and use the Aman.jo app to alert users if they were in contact with an infected person, and contribute to detecting virus-related cases.

The government had previously said that in case no new COVID-19 cases are registered among residents for 10 consecutive days, it would lift the daily night curfew.

However, National Committee for Epidemics spokesman, Nazir Obeidat warned against easing restrictions.

The registration of cases among expatriates is still a challenge the government is facing in its hasty efforts to ease restrictions, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Jordan allowed the return of 20,000 expatriates in three stages during the last two months.

“A lax approach in dealing with the pandemic would again allow the spread of the virus in the country,” Obeidat warned.

Health Minister Saad Jaber said Saturday that a laboratory would open soon at the Queen Alia Airport to allow around 6,000 PCR tests per day.

Jordan's airports will reopen at the end of July, allowing tourists from a limited list of countries to visit the kingdom.

Asharq Al-Awsat noticed Jordanians flaunting preventive measures in public places, restaurants and shops. The government had warned that violators of the measures would be fined.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

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
TT
TT

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”.