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Tunis Hosts Mediterranean Conference to Support Sustainable Development in Libya

Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)
Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)
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Tunis Hosts Mediterranean Conference to Support Sustainable Development in Libya

Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)
Destroyed and damaged buildings are seen in Sabri, a central Benghazi district, Libya, (File Photo: Reuters)

An international conference on sustainable development in Libya kicked off Monday in the Tunisian capital with the participation of experts from Mediterranean countries, France and Malaysia.

The three-day conference is expected to discuss the importance of the private sector to achieve the goals of sustainable development 2030, a member of the High Commission for Sustainable Development at the Libyan National Planning Council, Yaseen Abu Saryoul, told the Tunisian news agency.

“This conference is the first of its kind, and it discusses the role of the private sector in achieving sustainable development goals in Tunisia and Libya. It also addresses significant topics, such as the importance of applied scientific research, and organizing working sessions between the private sector and the public sector, as well as a forum for young entrepreneurs,” he said.

Abu Saryoul noted that the conference also highlights the role of the private sector in innovative projects, and digital transformation programs through effective communication with experts, academics, and public sector institutions.

The International Mediterranean Conference on the Role of the Private Sector in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Libya was initiated by the Libyan National Planning Council with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

It is attended by experts from the universities of Sebha in Libya and Al Munstir in Tunisia, in addition to a number of ministry representatives and the Libyan Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

Analysts expect the conference to assist Libya in reconstruction efforts, almost 10 years since the uprising that ousted long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Among other things, the conference will discuss the private sector and sustainable development, the dimensions of sustainable development, the private sector and investment in information networks and communications, the applicable mechanisms of enhancing inter-trade, the legislative reform and finally the investment by the private sector on green energy.

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Without Meat, Families in Gaza Struggle to Celebrate Eid Al-Adha Holiday

Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from a US-backed foundation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from a US-backed foundation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Without Meat, Families in Gaza Struggle to Celebrate Eid Al-Adha Holiday

Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from a US-backed foundation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from a US-backed foundation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

With the Gaza Strip devastated by war and siege, Palestinians struggled Thursday to celebrate one of the most important Islamic holidays.

To mark Eid al-Adha — Arabic for the Festival of Sacrifice — Muslims traditionally slaughter a sheep or cow and give away part of the meat to the poor as an act of charity. Then they have a big family meal with sweets. Children get gifts of new clothes.

But no fresh meat has entered Gaza for three months. Israel has blocked shipments of food and other aid to pressure Hamas to release hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war. And nearly all the territory’s homegrown sheep, cattle and goats are dead after 20 months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives, said The Associated Press.

Some of the little livestock left was on sale at a makeshift pen set up in the vast tent camp of Muwasi in the southern part of Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.

But no one could afford to buy. A few people came to look at the sheep and goats, along with a cow and a camel. Some kids laughed watching the animals and called out the prayers connected to the holiday.

“I can’t even buy bread. No meat, no vegetables,” said Abdel Rahman Madi. “The prices are astronomical.”

But prices for everything have soared amid the blockade, which was only slightly eased two weeks ago. Meat and most fresh fruits and vegetables disappeared from the markets weeks ago.

At a street market in the nearby city of Khan Younis, some stalls had stuffed sheep toys and other holiday knickknacks and old clothes. But most people left without buying any gifts after seeing the prices.

“Before, there was an Eid atmosphere, the children were happy ... Now with the blockade, there’s no flour, no clothes, no joy,” said Hala Abu Nqeira, a woman looking through the market. “We just go to find flour for our children. We go out every day looking for flour at a reasonable price, but we find it at unbelievable prices.”

Israel’s campaign against Hamas has almost entirely destroyed Gaza’s ability to feed itself. The UN says 96% of the livestock and 99% of the poultry are dead. More than 95% of Gaza’s prewar cropland is unusable, either too damaged or inaccessible inside Israeli military zones, according to a land survey published this week by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Israel barred all food and other supplies from entering Gaza for more than two months.

It eased the blockade two weeks ago to allow a trickle of aid trucks in for the UN to distribute. The trucks have brought in some food items, mainly flour. But the UN says it has struggled to delivery much of the incoming aid because of looting or Israeli military restrictions.

Almost the entire population of more than 2 million people have been driven from their homes, and most have had to move multiple times to escape Israeli offensives.

Rasha Abu Souleyma said she recently slipped back to her home in Rafah — from which her family had fled to take refuge in Khan Younis — to find some possessions she’d left behind.

She came back with some clothes, pink plastic sunglasses and bracelets that she gave to her two daughters as Eid gifts.

“I can’t buy them clothes or anything,” the 38-year-old said. “I used to bring meat in Eid so they would be happy, but now we can’t bring meat, and I can’t even feed the girls with bread.”

Near her, a group of children played on makeshift swings made of knotted and looped ropes.

Karima Nejelli, a displaced woman from Rafah, pointed out that people in Gaza had now marked both Eid al-Adha and the other main Islamic holiday, Eid al-Fitr, two times each under the war. “During these four Eids, we as Palestinians did not see any kind of joy, no sacrifice, no cookies, no buying Eid clothes or anything.”