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Iraq: Activists Campaign to 'Save Basra', Health Ministry Denies Cholera Outbreaks

Iraqi protesters burn tires and block the road at the entrance to the city of Basra, Iraq July 12, 2018. (Reuters: Essam al-Sudani)
Iraqi protesters burn tires and block the road at the entrance to the city of Basra, Iraq July 12, 2018. (Reuters: Essam al-Sudani)
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Iraq: Activists Campaign to 'Save Basra', Health Ministry Denies Cholera Outbreaks

Iraqi protesters burn tires and block the road at the entrance to the city of Basra, Iraq July 12, 2018. (Reuters: Essam al-Sudani)
Iraqi protesters burn tires and block the road at the entrance to the city of Basra, Iraq July 12, 2018. (Reuters: Essam al-Sudani)

An online campaign launched by Iraqi activists and bloggers succeeded over the past few days in drawing attention to the water pollution crisis in the southern district of Basra.

Recent videos and photos went viral on social media showing dozens of poisoned patients in hospitals due to contamination of drinking water. This has prompted activists to launch "Save Basra" campaign which coincided with a wave of protests that have been taking place for weeks, expected to escalate after Adha Eid holiday into sit-ins and civil disobedience, activists informed Asharq Al-Awsat.

The Iraqi Health Ministry denied on Friday reports about purported spread of epidemics in Basra due to water contamination and said it had dispatched additional supplies of medicines to the province to cope with possible emergency.

The ministry also sent a team to review the reports and ensure that no communicable diseases' outbreak had taken place, Ministry Spokesman Saif al-Badr said.

The team had already confirmed that there is no sign of cholera outbreak, adding that the latest cases were "minor and moderate" and did not require hospitalization. However, Basra governor Asaad al-Eidani, strongly criticized the government, saying it did not respond to the demands of the people.

Basra Health Department confirmed that drinking water in over 70 percent of areas is polluted and unfit for human consumption.

Representative of High Religious Authority Ali al-Sistani dedicated Friday’s sermon to criticize the Iraqi government for failing to solve Basra's water problem.

"The human, patriotic and religious duties call on the authorities and relevant institutions to work together to put an end to the sufferings of the people of Basra," Abdul Mahdi Karbalai said.

The Representative called on the government to find a lasting solution for this water contamination problem.

Earlier in July, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited Basra accompanied by a large number of ministers, after several protests erupted in the city.

Abadi promised to meet all demands, however, Eidani complained in a statement that the city has been demanding in vain the federal government to transfer money to establish desalination stations.

Basra’s Human Rights Commission also warned that the conditions of the province are "dangerous" due to high salinity and increased pollution, accusing the federal government of not acting accordingly.

The Commission asked the government to declare Basra a “disaster area”.

Basra has the largest oil supply in Iraq, as oil experts indicate that it owns 15 out of 77 fields in the country, including 10 producing fields awaiting development. These fields can produce more than 65 billion barrels, about 59 percent of Iraq's oil reserves.

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Arab World

Houthi Donation Boxes Target Merchants, Shoppers to Fund War Effort

Houthis launch a previous fundraising campaign to support the war effort (Houthi media).
Houthis launch a previous fundraising campaign to support the war effort (Houthi media).
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Houthi Donation Boxes Target Merchants, Shoppers to Fund War Effort

Houthis launch a previous fundraising campaign to support the war effort (Houthi media).
Houthis launch a previous fundraising campaign to support the war effort (Houthi media).

The Houthi group has turned markets and commercial establishments in Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, into new sources of funding for its military activities, launching a coercive fundraising campaign targeting hundreds of companies, businesses, shops, restaurants and shopping centers, according to local and business sources.

The campaign forces business owners to install donation boxes on their premises and extracts money from merchants and residents under the pretext of supporting the group's "war effort" and the families of its fighters killed, wounded or missing on the front lines, the sources said.

The campaign, launched at the beginning of the week, reflects efforts by the Houthis to expand their sources of compulsory funding and offset military and personnel losses by shifting the financial burden of the continuing war onto businesses and residents, at a time when living conditions are deteriorating and commercial establishments are increasingly struggling to remain operational.

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Houthi members and supervisors had targeted commercial establishments in several districts of Sanaa, forcing owners through threats and intimidation to accept donation boxes while conducting field visits to pressure merchants and customers into contributing money.

The sources said the group had ordered its members to visit shops and businesses daily to collect money deposited in the boxes, then transfer the proceeds to bank accounts belonging to senior Houthi leaders.

They added that the campaign went beyond collecting donations, involving mandatory financial contributions and direct pressure on business owners.

More than 320 donation boxes in two days

In a sign of the campaign's expanding reach, the Houthis distributed more than 320 donation boxes to private-sector establishments across several districts during the first two days, with plans to distribute about 4,000 additional boxes in the coming days to cover the rest of the capital and its outskirts.

The move coincided with complaints from merchants who said Houthi supervisors and armed members had entered their shops carrying donation boxes and forced them at gunpoint to install them without seeking their permission or consent.

Merchants said the group had also ordered business owners and employees to encourage customers to donate, warning that shops whose boxes were opened and found empty would face severe measures.

The threats appeared aimed at turning merchants into collectors of compulsory contributions from ordinary residents.

Ramzi, a pseudonym for a shop owner in a Sanaa neighborhood, said Houthi supervisors had forced him to place a donation box inside his store under the pretext of supporting fighters on the front lines and the families of Houthi members killed or wounded in combat.

He said Houthi members regularly visited his shop to collect the money, leaving him no opportunity to object or refuse to keep the box on his premises.

Ramzi added that repeated threats and constant monitoring by Houthi supervisors sometimes forced him to put his own money into the box to avoid being held responsible when customers failed to donate or facing punitive measures.

An empty donation box, he said, had become sufficient grounds for questioning and intimidation.

On the outskirts of Sanaa, a restaurant owner who requested anonymity complained that the campaign had become another means of extorting money from business owners.

He said Houthi supervisors not only imposed donation boxes but also pressured restaurant owners and employees to make additional payments despite declining sales and rising operating costs.

Saeed, a Sanaa resident, said he believed the Houthis were seeking to turn the city's remaining markets and shops into permanent collection points for extracting money from the public.

He said residents were increasingly overwhelmed by successive donation drives and compulsory levies at a time when many were struggling to provide basic necessities for their families.

Arab World

Gaza Welcomes US Election Results With Reservations

Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)
Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)
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Gaza Welcomes US Election Results With Reservations

Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)
Palestinians receive food distributed by the World Food Program in Gaza on Wednesday (AP)

Political factions in Gaza watched the US midterm elections as closely as Israel's, but were divided over what the results could mean for Palestinians.

Some welcomed the Republicans' loss of their majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate under President Donald Trump as a victory for the Palestinian cause. Others were more cautious, arguing that the results would do little to ease the crises gripping the war-battered enclave.

Neither Fatah nor Hamas, nor any other Palestinian faction in Gaza, publicly commented on the US congressional midterm results. But their affiliated media outlets closely tracked the vote, highlighting the success of candidates of Arab and Muslim descent.

Among them was Dr. Adam Hamawy, who won a House seat representing New Jersey after having worked in Gaza during the Israeli war that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Munther al-Hayek, Fatah's spokesman in Gaza, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the war had featured prominently in the midterm campaigns and that the current US administration's stance on the Palestinian territories had cost Republicans votes.

"The current US administration's negative positions toward the situation in the Palestinian territories influenced voters, contributing to the Republicans' clear defeat," Hayek said.

"Everyone who supported Palestine and stood by its people, particularly Gaza, whose plight featured in most campaign speeches by its supporters, achieved clearly positive results," he added.

Hamas leaders, including spokesman Hazem Qassem, took a more guarded approach, declining to comment officially.

In October 2025, Hamas accepted a Trump-proposed plan to end the Gaza war. Israel, however, has yet to withdraw from the positions it occupies in the enclave as required under the agreement and continues to carry out targeted killings of Hamas members.

A senior Hamas official based in Turkey, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, played down expectations of any meaningful shift.

"The election results will change nothing fundamental for Palestinians, particularly Gaza residents, but could offer some hope of curbing the overwhelming US support for Israel's attacks on the enclave," the official said.

He also cautioned against overlooking the Democrats' role in the war.

"We must remember that the Democratic Party, represented by former President Joe Biden's administration, was the first to support the ongoing war and was unable to impose any solutions on Benjamin Netanyahu's government, unlike Trump, who later managed to do so despite his unwavering support for Israel," he said.

For many ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, the distinction between Republicans and Democrats is narrow, according to Gaza-based writer and political analyst Mustafa Ibrahim.

"Most Palestinians outside the political factions, particularly in Gaza, believe both parties support Israeli policies, with only minor differences on certain issues," Ibrahim told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said it was too early to gauge the elections' impact on Gaza, noting that newly elected lawmakers would not be sworn in or take office for another two months.

In the meantime, Ibrahim said, Trump could press Israel to accelerate measures sought by the Board of Peace in Gaza, including the entry of the national committee tasked with administering the enclave.

But he saw little prospect of major progress, citing Israel's political deadlock following its own elections.

Ibrahim also doubted that Democratic lawmakers could exert significant influence, drive rapid change, or deliver major breakthroughs in US policy toward the Palestinian cause.

Arab World

Yemeni Govt Forces Regain Initiative Against Houthis

A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)
A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)
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Yemeni Govt Forces Regain Initiative Against Houthis

A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)
A Yemeni government military vehicle storms a Houthi position in Al-Jawf. (Military Media)

Yemeni government forces seized strategic positions in the Lahj and Al-Jawf provinces on Wednesday, beating back Houthi attacks and infiltration attempts as fighting intensified across several fronts and the group fired ballistic missiles to support its embattled fighters.

Clashes continued along the Bab al-Mandeb front, where government troops pressed an offensive to dislodge Houthi fighters from their last remaining pockets around the strategic strait.

Field sources said government troops, backed by the Giants Brigades, Nation's Shield forces and the National Resistance, recaptured positions in Al-Maqatirah district in northern Lahj and thwarted Houthi advances toward Tur al-Baha and Al-Mudaribah.

Fighting spread to areas bordering the two districts, while government forces pressed ahead with offensive operations in the eastern Al-Jawf province.

In Taiz, government forces held their defensive positions despite a continuing Houthi siege, with clashes persisting on the city's southern and eastern fronts. The Houthis suffered casualties and equipment losses, particularly around the city.

In the latest advance, the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation's Shield forces said they had seized the strategic Jabal al-Sabaa Roqud position in Al-Maqatirah, driving out Houthi fighters and snipers after clashes.

The position overlooks Wadi Maabaq and commands sections of the vital Aden-Al-Turbah road through Tur al-Baha, giving government forces greater control over supply routes and troop movements while reducing the threat of Houthi sniper fire, according to military assessments.

The advance coincided with airstrikes on Houthi positions on Jabal Araf.

Local resistance fighters, backed by government fighters, also foiled a Houthi infiltration attempt deeper into Tur al-Baha.

On the Al-Maqatirah front, fierce clashes continued near the boundary with Al-Mudaribah, where National Resistance forces and local fighters repelled Houthi attempts to seize several positions, field sources said.

Southeast of Taiz city, fighting erupted along the Kahlan and Dabbah front after Houthi fighters tried to infiltrate residential neighborhoods.

Army troops and local resistance fighters ambushed the attackers, killing and wounding several of them, according to the 35th Armored Brigade's media office.

The National Resistance's military media office also reported heavy Houthi casualties and destroyed military vehicles after government forces repelled the attacks.

Government forces push forward in Al-Jawf

In the Al-Jawf province, government troops expanded their offensive east of Al-Hazm, capturing military positions in Al-Duhaida, Mulayfiyah and surrounding areas after fighting broke out before dawn.

Clashes continued as troops pushed toward the Al-Duhaiza mountains.

Field sources said government forces were clearing recaptured positions of landmines, explosive devices and fortifications left behind by retreating Houthi fighters.

The clearance operations slowed their advance despite continued ground assaults and air support.

The Yemeni Armed Forces' media center said warplanes and drones struck Houthi fortifications, troop concentrations and weapons depots, destroying several military vehicles.

Houthis fire ballistic missiles at military positions

The Houthis stepped up ballistic missile attacks in Lahj and Al-Dhale provinces in an effort to support fighters along the front lines.

Field sources said the group fired two ballistic missiles toward the Al-Maqatirah front and Tur al-Baha.

The sources said the Houthis had installed launch platforms on high ground in the district, using them as forward positions to target government troop concentrations and supply routes.

The attack came as fighting continued across Al-Dhale, where the Houthis have sought a breakthrough by striking military camps and troop concentrations after failing to advance along the front lines.

Meanwhile, government forces pressed operations along the Bab al-Mandeb front, seeking to clear remaining Houthi pockets from scattered positions around the strait.

1,208 strikes

Yemen's armed forces said they carried out 1,208 strikes against Houthi positions and movements on Tuesday under Operation Dawn of Yemen, targeting troop concentrations, reinforcements, fortifications, firing positions and military vehicles.

The operations involved warplanes, drones, field artillery and rocket launchers.

Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili said the strikes had neutralized about 370 Houthi commanders and fighters and destroyed or disabled roughly 120 military vehicles and pieces of equipment across multiple fronts.

Al-Nuzaili said army troops and local resistance fighters had captured positions along several fronts in Taiz and repelled Houthi attempts to retake them, while airstrikes hit the group's troop concentrations and equipment.

He said strikes were continuing in Marib, Al-Jawf and the southern and western sectors as government forces sought to weaken Houthi combat capabilities and reclaim positions still under the group's control.