Qatar: 4,000 World Cup Huts Sent to Quake-Hit Türkiye, Syria

Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)
Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)
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Qatar: 4,000 World Cup Huts Sent to Quake-Hit Türkiye, Syria

Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)
Workers load cabins and caravans used during the football World Cup in Qatar onto a cargo ship slated for departure from Hamad Port, on March 20, 2023, as a donation to Türkiye and Syria to house people who lost their homes in a devastating earthquake in early February. (AFP)

Qatar has sent 4,000 cabins built to house fans at last year's World Cup to earthquake survivors in Türkiye and Syria, authorities said Monday.

The Associated Press watched as the latest batch of pre-fabricated cabins was loaded onto a cargo ship in the Arabian Gulf.

The Qatar Development Fund began shipping cabins last month and says it will send a total of 10,000 to house people displaced by the Feb. 6 earthquake.

Qatar says it had always planned to donate the mobile homes. They were needed to help house some of the 1.4 million fans who descended on the country during soccer’s biggest tournament late last year.

The brightly colored cabins, each with thin walls, were designed to hold one or two people with twin beds, a nightstand, a small table and chair, air conditioning, a toilet and a shower inside.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck parts of Türkiye and Syria on Feb. 6, killing more than 52,000 people — the vast majority in Türkiye. More than 200,000 buildings in Türkiye either collapsed or were severely damaged, leaving millions homeless.

Qatar and other Gulf countries have joined the global effort to send aid to the stricken region.



Saudi Govt Condemns Israel for Resuming Strikes on Gaza

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Govt Condemns Israel for Resuming Strikes on Gaza

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government condemned on Tuesday Israel for resuming its attacks on Gaza.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The cabinet emphasized the international community's responsibility to intervene urgently to stop the Israeli crimes in Gaza and end the humanitarian crisis faced by the brotherly Palestinian people.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the ministers on the telephone talks he held with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The cabinet reviewed the latest developments in the Arab, regional, and international arenas, reiterating the Kingdom's steadfast positions on these issues and its support for efforts promoting regional and global security and stability.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the Cabinet welcomed the conclusion of peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the signing of a border demarcation agreement between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The cabinet commended the launch of the Saudi Architecture Characters Map, which highlights 19 architectural styles that represent the Kingdom's geographical, natural, and cultural traits. The initiative will help in the preservation of urban heritage, the enhancement of quality of life, and the development of urban landscapes.

The cabinet discussed strategies to boost development and service projects and reinforce the social welfare and protection system in order to accelerate progress, harness potential, and achieve the nation's ambitions.

It also reviewed indicators of the national economy's performance and the Kingdom's credit rating upgrades by international agencies, underscoring the continued implementation of structural reforms and the creation of an environment conducive to unprecedented economic transformation and diversification, in line with the goals of Vision 2030.

Moreover, the cabinet expressed hailed the proactive security monitoring and response to drug smuggling networks, carried out in partnership with brotherly and friendly countries. He specifically praised the Iraqi Ministry of Interior for intercepting an attempt to smuggle 7 million amphetamine pills, acting on information provided by the Saudi Ministry of Interior.