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Two NGOs question Macron on the “humanitarian disaster” in Idlib, Syria

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Two NGOs question Macron on the “humanitarian disaster” in Idlib, Syria

Doctors of the World France and the Union of Relief and Medical Care Organizations France have written to the French President to alert him to the situation and denounce the difficulties they encounter in coming to the aid of populations.

They can no longer “tolerate the terror and death that has fallen the Syrian civilian populations for months and more specifically in the Idlib region since the end of April 2019” for longer. Two NGOs, Medecins du Monde France and the Union of Relief and Medical Care Organizations in France, wrote to President Emmanuel Macron in a letter published by France-Info  this Monday, December 30, asking him to respond to the “humanitarian disaster” that is happening right now in Idlib, Syria.

If they welcome “the French position to condemn the bombing of Idlib and the immediate request for de-escalation  “, the NGOs consider that this position is not “sufficient”.

The associations, which present themselves as “  non-governmental medical actors working in Syria”, are indignant at the difficulties they encounter in coming to the aid of the populations and wish to “alert to the dramatic situation observed by the teams in the province of ‘Idlib right now’:

Deliberately and strategically deprived of food and medical care for months by intensive bombardments and massive population displacements which make fear the worst, the region of Idlib is dying in silence in front of an international community that seems resigned.

“Death of international humanitarian law”

“We have been denouncing systematic violations of international humanitarian law for months and do not want Idlib to sign the death of this right”, continue the associations, which also accuses the international community of “refusing” this population “humanitarian aid” which would be a real relief ”.

Also Read: Saudi coalition in Yemen kills 31 Civilians

“In these times of celebrations and moments of happiness shared with the family, how can France and the international community remain deaf and blind to the humanitarian distress of these millions of people? “ Wonder the authors of the letter, who request an interview with Emmanuel Macron so that solutions are found.

Joined by “the Parisian”, Dr. Wasel al-Jerk, surgeon based in Idlib, also testifies to the difficulties of helping populations: “The bombing does not stop, we receive a lot of people in hospitals and we cannot afford to treat them, ”he explains.

For the displaced, the humanitarian needs are enormous. They settle in makeshift camps, not provided with infrastructure, water, housing.

Over 235,000 displaced in two weeks

In the past two weeks, more than 235,000 Syrians have been displaced due to the intensification of the offensive by the regime and its Russian ally in the northwest of the country, according to the UN. These massive displacements come at the worst moment, while the region is hit by heavy showers that flood the camps of displaced people.

Damascus and Moscow carried out a major offensive in the Idlib region between April and August, killing a thousand civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and already causing the flight of 400 000 people reports the UN.

The conflict in Syria, sparked in 2011 by Damascus’ suppression of pro-democracy protests, has left more than 370,000 people dead and millions displaced and refugees.

Yemen: entry of 138,000 migrants and refugees in 2019

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Yemen: entry of 138,000 migrants and refugees in 2019

The trip from Africa to Yemen remains the most frequented maritime migration route in the world, according to the UN, which reported 138,000 migrants and refugees who entered this country in 2019, despite the war there. On average, 11,500 people embarked on ships connecting the Horn of Africa to Yemen in 2019, according to the IOM (International Organization for Migration) quoted in a press release from the office of the UN spokesperson.

In comparison, more than 110,000 migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean to Europe during the same period. It is the second consecutive year that the so-called Eastern route has recorded more crossings than the Mediterranean.

In 2018, around 150,000 people made the trip. “While the tragedies along the Mediterranean roads are well known, our staff testify daily to the abuse suffered by young people in the Horn of Africa at the hands of smugglers and traffickers who exploit their hopes for a better life”, a said IOM Regional Director for the Horn of Africa, Mohammed Abdiker.

According to the UN Agency for Migration, nearly 90% of those who arrived in Yemen in 2019 intended to continue their journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Often from rural Oromia, Amhara and Tigray, more than 90% of the people making the trip were Ethiopian nationals.

Not only has migration on the eastern route been reduced by five years of conflict in Yemen, but migrants do not seem to be deterred by the Gulf States’ strict immigration policies for undocumented migrants. Most travel in search of inaccessible economic opportunities at home, while others flee insecurity, human rights abuses, and difficult living conditions.

Washington steps up pressure on Baghdad

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Washington steps up pressure on Baghdad

The United States, which takes a dim view of Iran’s growing political influence in Iraq, will step up its sanctions on the Iraqi economy, which is already in danger of collapse.

The United States is increasing pressure on the Iraqi government, by attacking its already fragile economy. Washington thus concretizes the threats of sanctions launched by US President Donald Trump in early January, in reaction to a resolution on the withdrawal of foreign forces from this country, adopted by the Parliament of Baghdad. Washington has decided to reduce the exemption granted to Iraq for importing electrical energy from Iran granted to Baghdad to 45 days, which usually spans 3 or 4 months.

These exemptions push Iraq at the same time to reduce its energy dependence on neighboring Iran. Iraq, where power cuts sometimes last 20 hours a day, especially in summer, maybe in an unprecedented situation if it were to face a great energy shortage. Worse still, according to observers, American pressures can in the very short term lead the entire Iraqi economy, already weakened, to collapse.

The Iraqi economy and its currency would then plunge since oil revenues represent 90% of government revenues. And in the event that Washington decides to no longer renew its exemption, Baghdad would have only two options: face massive shortages or continue to import Iranian energy but expose itself at that time to severe collateral sanctions the US.

The latter option seems, according to experts, increasingly realistic in view of the growing tensions between Iraq and the United States. In addition to the rise in anti-American sentiment since the US assassination on January 2 of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, Washington regularly sees its interests targeted in Iraq.

At least twenty rocket attacks – the last going back to Thursday – targeted American sites and bases in the country. In response, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that “if these attacks continue, his country will end negotiations on a renewal of the exemption,” a senior Iraqi official recently quoted as saying.

These pressures were partly realized through the US Federal Reserve, the FED. You should know that every month, it is this bank that provides dollars to the Iraqi central bank. It sends between one and two billion dollars, drawn from the revenues of Iraqi oil stored in the United States.

However, last month, the shipment was delayed by more than a week for “political reasons,” said senior Iraqi officials quoted in the media. If Washington has been considering the option of turning off the dollar valve for months, the Iraqi parliament’s vote calling on Baghdad to expel the country’s 5,200 American soldiers seems to have speeded things up.

Tunisia: towards early legislative elections

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Tunisia: towards early legislative elections

In the absence of a government by March 15, President Kais Saied will have the opportunity to dissolve Parliament and call early elections.

The political crisis is worsening in Tunisia after the rejection by the country’s main parties, Ennahdha and Qalb Tounes, of the list of the future cabinet, unveiled on Saturday evening by Prime Minister-designate Elyes Fakhfakh.

The decision of these two parties, which form the majority in the Assembly of People’s Representatives (ARP), makes the fate of the new government uncertain and the organization of early parliamentary elections more and more likely. “At the insistence of Elyes Fakhfakh, responsible for forming the government, to reject the idea of ​​a government of national unity, Ennahdha decided to withdraw,” said the president of the council of Choura, Abdelkrim Harouni.

The Rached El-Ghanouchi party demands a government of national unity including the second party in parliament, Qalb Tounes, a party led by media magnate Nabil Karoui, but excluded from negotiations. “Ennahdha decided not to participate or to vote for confidence in a government that would have been too weak without the participation of Qalb Tounes,” Abdelkarim Harouni, quoted by the media, said again yesterday. “Mr. Fakhfakh can still negotiate, but he does not have many days left, ”he continued, raising the possibility that the president, Kaïs Saïed, could appoint a new head of government.

Yesterday, the spokesman of the Islamist party, Imed Khemiri, in turn, called on Fakhfakh to withdraw his government to carry out a new dynamic based on “the integration of political forces and on the search for a new balance for the obtaining a government which can represent the parties and their real weight in the Assembly of People’s Representatives ”. For its part, the Qalb Tounes party has said it will not trust the new government.

The party, which has 38 seats in parliament, recalled in a statement on Saturday evening that it had decided to “camp in the opposition”, reaffirming that it will not be part of the next government coalition, said Qalb Tounes. In a publication on his Facebook account, Nabil Karoui said: “We are not concerned by the formation of the government, and refuse the approach followed in this context.” Faced with this situation of total blockage, Mr. Fakhfakh reacted by holding the party of Ennahdha responsible for the current blockage. He said that the Islamist party’s decision put Tunisia in a complicated situation.

“Ennahdha’s decision puts the country in a difficult situation which forces us to study the legal and constitutional possibilities,” said the Prime Minister. “We decided with the President of the Republic to take advantage of the remaining constitutional deadlines to seek a way out,” he added, hinting that the list could notably be modified.

Mr. Fakhfakh was appointed on January 20 by the president, Kaïs Saïed, to form within a month a cabinet likely to convince the majority of deputies. In the absence of a government by March 15, President Kaïs Saïed will have the possibility of dissolving Parliament and calling for early elections, organized within 3 months.

Bad weather for aid workers in the Central African Republic

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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced this weekend the drastic reduction of its humanitarian action in the Central African Republic, because of violence targeting its employees, especially in the north center of the country, we read in a press release transmitted to the press.

“Affected by a succession of security incidents endangering its staff and its action, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is forced to suspend the movements of its teams and to drastically reduce its humanitarian activities in Kaga-Bandoro, in Nana-Grebizi, in the north-central part of the Central African Republic ”, we read in the press release. “It is totally unacceptable.

We can no longer work under these conditions, ”said Bruce Biber, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in the Central African Republic. “We have no choice but to reduce our humanitarian activities and the movement of our teams until security conditions are met again.

However, we will continue to provide life-saving emergency services at the Kaga-Bandoro hospital and water supply for the displaced persons’ site, ”he added. Humanitarian workers are not a direct target of armed groups, but their action is compromised in areas of high tension. “Humanitarian workers are not a target.

Each time we are attacked, it is our ability to deliver aid to the most vulnerable that is compromised, ”said Bruce Biber. Attacks targeting the ICRC and other humanitarian organizations take place regularly against their camps, from which equipment and aid for displaced people in the country are taken. “In the Central African Republic, people are already the first victims of conflict and violence, but also increasingly of the insecurity and the resulting crime.

It is also one of the most dangerous contexts for humanitarian workers, whose structures and staff have become the regular targets of criminal gangs, ”the ICRC worries again.

Algeria: Karim Younes appointed mediator of the Republic

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Algeria: Karim Younes appointed mediator of the Republic

The former President of the National Popular Assembly (APN), Karim Younes was appointed today mediator of the Republic by Abdelamdjid Tebboune, according to a press release from the Presidency of the Republic, echoed this afternoon by the APS.

The former coordinator of the National Authority for Dialogue and Mediation (INDM), had, among other things, held of Secretary of State, then Minister of Vocational Training from June 1997 to May 2002, recalls the same source, which specifies that “this appointment comes following the audience which the Head of State granted to Karim Younes”.

Born on January 1, 1948, in Bejaia, Karim Younes is a politician and writer whose work includes several works on the contemporary history of Algeria. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in French at the University of Algiers in 1978.

Aeronautics: Airbus pitched, weighed down by fines and the A400M

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Aeronautics: Airbus pitched, weighed down by fines and the A400M

Paris: Airbus announced Thursday a net loss of 1.36 billion euros (1.45 billion francs) in 2019, affected in particular by fines of 3.6 billion in a corruption case and a new charge of 1.2 billion on the A400M military transport aircraft program.

Excluding its exceptional items, the European aircraft manufacturer recorded an adjusted operating profit of 6.9 billion euros, he said in a statement.

These results “reflect the final agreements concluded with the authorities to close compliance (compliance) investigations, as well as a charge related to the revision of our export contract forecasts for the A400M,” says the executive chairman of Airbus Guillaume Faury, cited in the press release.

Multiple charges

Airbus concluded an agreement on January 31 with French, British and American judicial authorities to avoid prosecution in a corruption case on the sidelines of the conclusion of contracts, at the cost of fines totaling 3.598 billion euros.

The aircraft manufacturer, which delivered 14 A400M in 2019 “in accordance with the latest delivery schedule”, indicates that it has crossed “several key milestones towards the full operational capacity of the aircraft” in chaotic development, including the simultaneous release of paratroopers and first “dry” tests of helicopter refueling.

Also Read: China’s military strength is essential for global peace and stability

Airbus nonetheless records a charge of 1.2 billion euros on this program because “export ambitions are proving increasingly difficult to achieve for the initial contractual phase”, in particular, “due to the repeated extension of the ‘German export ban to Saudi Arabia’ decreed after the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the fall of 2018.

Airbus also charges another charge of 221 million euros induced by the suspension by Germany of licenses to export military equipment to Ryad. Other exceptional charges totaling 576 million euros, including 202 million for the termination of the A380 program, are recorded in the 2019 accounts.

Faced with its American competitor Boeing which is going through a deep crisis due to the immobilization on the ground since mid-March 2019 of its flagship plane, the 737 MAX, after two accidents that have killed 346 people, Airbus nevertheless displays a flourishing activity with a figure revenue of 70.5 billion euros in 2019, up 11%.

The aircraft manufacturer delivered 863 commercial aircraft in 2019, up from 800 the previous year and plans to deliver “approximately 880” by 2020.

Order intake amounted to 81.2 billion euros, bringing the value of the order book to 471 billion, driven in particular by the A320neo program (including A319, A320, and A321) for which orders amounted to 6,249 devices at the end of January.

For 2020, Airbus expects growth in the economy and air traffic “in line with independent forecasts” and “the absence of major disruption, including as a result of the coronavirus”.

The aircraft manufacturer also announced Thursday the resumption alongside the Quebec government of the participation of the Canadian Bombardier in the limited partnership Airbus Canada (SCAC), which produces the medium-haul A220.

The transaction, which takes effect “immediately”, allows Airbus to increase its stake to 75% – as against 50.06% previously – in the SCAC. The aircraft manufacturer will also buy the remaining 25% held by the Quebec government in 2026.

Emirates: Green light for the first nuclear power plant in the Arab World

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Emirates: Green light for the first nuclear power plant in the Arab World

The United Arab Emirates announced Monday that it has given the green light to the start-up of the Barakah nuclear power plant, the first in the Arab world, the start of which has been postponed several times.

Located in the northwest of the country and about 200 km west of the capital Abu Dhabi, the Barakah power plant was built by a consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corporation at an estimated cost of $ 24.4 billion. (22.5 billion euros).

Why nuclear?

The federal state, made up of seven emirates, has a population of 9.3 million, of which around 80% are expatriates. The need for electricity is increasing due to the systematic use of air conditioning during scorching summers.

When fully operational, the four reactors will have a capacity of 5,600 megawatts or approximately 25% of the needs of the federation.

The fourth producer of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries), the federation has grown since the 1970s thanks to its wealth of fossil fuel sources, which has been reinforced by the recent discovery of a huge gas field between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

But the country has also implemented a multi-billion dollar program to develop renewable energy, with the goal of producing 50% of its energy from clean sources by 2050.

“It is part of the desire of the Emirates to diversify their energy mix, reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and project the image of a regional leader in science and technology,” says a Gulf specialist requesting anonymity.

Safety first

The first of the four reactors at the Barakah power plant was to be commissioned at the end of 2017, but the start-up was postponed several times, with officials saying that it took more time to meet legal safety conditions.

The state-owned company Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp (ENEC) announced in December that the loading of nuclear fuel into the reactor is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2020.

UAE officials have repeatedly stated that their nuclear program is “peaceful” and that they have no intention of giving it a military component.

The country has hosted more than 40 international missions and inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) since 2010.

Regional tensions

The Barakah power station is located on the northwest coast of the Emirates, near the border of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and is separated from Iran, opposite, by the waters of the Gulf. Allies of the United States and Saudi Arabia, the Emirates maintain tense relations with Qatar and Iran. Washington pursues a policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran and accuses it of attacking oil tankers in the waters of the Gulf.

Saudis and Americans have accused Iran, who denies it, of being behind the September 2019 attack on major facilities of the oil giant Saudi Aramco. “The intensification of regional tensions increases the vulnerability of new energy infrastructure to the possibility of such attacks,” said the Gulf analyst.

Qatar, for its part, described the nuclear power plant as “a flagrant threat to regional peace and the environment”. Since June 2017, Doha has complained of the boycott imposed on it by Saudi Arabia and its allies, led by the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi responded by reiterating its commitment to “ensure the highest level of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation”.

CoronaVirus: Toilet paper in the viewfinder of Robbers

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CoronaVirus: Toilet paper in the viewfinder of Robbers

Men responsible for an armed robbery of toilet paper were wanted by Hong Kong police on Monday as residents rushed to the toilet paper for fear of a shortage due to the new coronavirus.

For ten days, finding toilet paper has become difficult in Hong Kong despite government assurances that supplies are not affected by the epidemic of viral pneumonia.

Supermarkets have been unable to restock quickly enough, and long lines of customers sometimes form before stores open. Barely crowded, the shelves empty at full speed.

Consumers rush in the same way on rice, pasta as well as cleaning products and hydroalcoholic solutions.

Police reported that a truck driver was robbed Monday morning by three men in front of a supermarket in Mong Kok, one of the historic neighborhoods of the triads (local mafias).

Police protection

“A delivery man was threatened by three men armed with knives who stole packages of toilet paper for more than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars (127 francs),” a police spokesman told AFP.

Video footage from Now TV shows police investigators standing around several pallets of toilet paper in front of a supermarket. One of them is only half full.

Also Read: Coronavirus on the Diamond Princess: repatriated passengers, others are patient

Some Hong Kongers were puzzled about the theft, while others preferred to laugh. “I would steal face masks rather than rolls of toilet paper,” joked a resident interviewed near the location of the robbery by the iCable television channel.

The megalopolis, where 54 cases of the new coronavirus have been recorded, is currently experiencing a real shortage of masks intended to protect themselves from this viral infection.

A collective hysteria has gripped the inhabitants of Hong Kong since the appearance of the new coronavirus in mainland China, awakening the trauma linked to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

https://twitter.com/wongtafuk/status/1228527086723198976

This other coronavirus had killed nearly 300 people in the semi-autonomous territory in 2002 and 2003. Beijing had then been slow to raise the alarm and since then, the population of this territory of more than 7 million inhabitants, remains wary of the with regard to local government health policy.

This epidemic comes as the executive, aligned with Beijing, has enjoyed a historically low popularity rate after months of pro-democracy protests. Authorities castigated false rumors of a shortage and assured that supplies of food and household products remain constant.

This rush for certain products has itself fueled this lack of certain products, especially in a very densely populated city where shops are generally small.

Recession threatens the Japan’s economy

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Recession threatens the Japan’s economy

Japan suffered the worst fall in 5 years of its gross domestic product (GDP) in the 4th quarter of 2019, weighed down by an increase in the consumption tax. He is now under threat from the coronavirus.

A recession (two consecutive quarters of decline) appears likely due to the still difficult to measure repercussions of the coronavirus epidemic. Japan is currently the second focus of the disease behind China.

Compared to that of the previous three months, the archipelago’s GDP dropped 1.6% between October and December last year, the drop in October from 8% to 10% of the VAT on most goods and services having dissuaded consumption.

This decline, the first seen in five quarters, was expected by analysts. It is nonetheless more severe than expected, and the worst since that of 1.9% which had followed a previous VAT increase in April 2014.

Olympics in less than six months

Transcribed at an annual rate, the decline in the 4th quarter of 2019 corresponds to a fall of 6.3%, the government said. Over the whole of 2019, Japanese growth thus stood at 0.7%, the executive said. However, this figure may be revised later, as well as that of the 4th quarter.

Household consumption, the main cause of the plunge observed at the end of last year, fell by 3% over a quarter. Many consumers made their large purchases before the VAT hike, hence the aftermath.

The Japanese also suffered from the passage of several deadly typhoons, which had an impact on trade. And the new coronavirus poses a serious threat. For Takashi Shiono of Credit Suisse Securities, “the repercussions of the coronavirus are to be feared on the service sector”.

The flow of Chinese tourists that have fueled Japanese economic growth in recent years has come to a halt since Beijing has de facto prohibited its nationals from spending their holidays abroad. This epidemic is all the worse for Japan since the Tokyo Olympics are to be held in less than six months.

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