Asharq Al-Awsat
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the R20 Austrian World Summit in Vienna, Austria, May 28, 2019. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic continued to worsen Wednesday despite unprecedented lockdowns, as UN chief Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm on what he said was humanity's worst crisis since World War II. Around half of the planet's population is under some form of lockdown as governments struggle to halt the spread of a disease that has now infected more than 840,000 people. Well over 40,000 are known to have died, half of them in Italy and Spain, but the death toll continues to rise with new records being logged daily in the US. The extraordinary economic and political upheaval spurred by the virus presents a real danger to the relative peace the world has seen over the last few decades, Guterres said Tuesday. The "disease... represents a threat to everybody in the world and... an economic impact that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past." "The combination of the two facts and the risk that it contributes to enhanced instability, enhanced unrest, and enhanced conflict are things that make us believe that this is the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War," he said. In virtual talks Tuesday, finance ministers and central bankers from the world's 20 major economies pledged to address the debt burden of low-income countries and deliver aid to emerging markets. Last week G20 leaders said they were injecting $5 trillion into the global economy to head off a feared deep recession. Lockdowns remain at the forefront of official disease-stopping arsenals -- a strategy increasingly borne-out by science. Researchers said China's decision to shutter Wuhan, ground zero for the global COVID-19 pandemic, may have prevented three-quarters of a million new cases by delaying the spread of the virus. "Our analysis suggests that without the Wuhan travel ban and the national emergency response there would have been more than 700,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of Wuhan" by mid-February, said Oxford University's Christopher Dye.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210621/guterres-coronavirus-worst-crisis-wwii
The coronavirus crisis is terrifying not just for its potentially staggering scale, but also for its resistance to rational analysis. It’s forcing governments to make enormously consequential decisions without knowing what the results will be or how alternative courses of action might have played out. This state of affairs is so unsettling to the rational mind that one longs for rules of thumb that suspend doubt, set complications and trade-offs aside, and offer some clarity. “Just do everything, and worry later about having overreacted” seems to be trending. It sounds reassuring and purposeful, but only so long as you don’t think about it too much. With millions of lives and colossal economic losses on the line, COVID-19 is still in the realm of radical uncertainty. At the moment, there’s too little information even to calculate usable probabilities. At some point there’ll be more clarity about actual cases (as opposed to reported cases), transmission in different populations and under different policy regimes and other conditions, true fatality rates, infectious periods, acquired immunity and so on – enough to better understand the pandemic’s processes and the pros and cons of different interventions. But knowing all that later is no use now. And one thing we do know: “Wait and see” is not an option. Amid this extreme uncertainty, a crucial trade-off persists – between the steps you take now to save lives and the damage those steps will do to the economy. At first sight, in the spirit of “just do everything,” one longs to deny this trade-off: Governments should move instantly to save as many lives as possible, while reducing the economic damage as far as they can. This thinking sustains the view that hesitating to adopt “lockdowns” in many Western countries – the initial preference for “mitigation” over “suppression” – was a grave mistake. The truth is more complicated. An unacknowledged trade-off between saving lives and inflicting economic harm is simply unavoidable. It’s baked into the way we live our ordinary lives. Seasonal flu kills (or contributes to killing) tens of thousands a year in the US. There are no calls for “lockdown” at the first sign of a seasonal spike. Partially effective vaccinations are available: So relaxed are we about this preventable loss of life that we don’t even accept the public cost of making vaccination free, much less mandatory. The threat from COVID-19 is of a radically different order, and the terms of the trade-off, once they can be calibrated, will be very different as well. But policy makers still need to strike balances, recognizing (whether they like it or not) that the underlying dilemma of safety and cost hasn’t gone away. You can see this in the ambiguity surrounding “lockdown.” People in the US and Europe are being urged or compelled to stay at home except to undertake essential activities. But what’s essential? Governments aren’t sure. They’re using the term without knowing what it means. (At the start of this week, for instance, UK policy makers were unsure whether their stay-at-home order applied to construction workers.) The ambiguity arises precisely because the underlying trade-off won’t go away. It means there’s no bright line: The extent to which shutting things down puts firms out of business and people out of work tells you what’s “essential.” In a similar way, under current conditions, there’s no bright line in policy terms between two approaches to the pandemic that are sometimes contrasted as if they were clearly distinct – “mitigation” and “suppression.” In epidemiological terms, you achieve suppression when each infected person, on average, passes the disease to less than one other person. Reduce person-to-person contact enough to do that, and the epidemic comes to an end. To an epidemiologist, mitigation means spreading out the cases to reduce the burden on health systems unprepared for a surge, but without aiming to halt the epidemic before it eventually runs out of people to infect. As a practical matter, the distinction is much less clear-cut. Scientists aren’t yet sure of the coronavirus starting point – the number of people that each infected person would infect in an entirely susceptible population. This so-called basic reproduction number seems to be between 2 and 3, which encompasses a wide range of future scenarios even before you weigh the many other unknowns. And policy makers also don’t know how far each successive tightening of the rules on social distancing, running all the way from urging to people not to mix in big social gatherings to criminalizing all “inessential” contact, might succeed in reducing secondary infections. So the policy choice is not between a clearly defined (a) and (b) – between mitigation and suppression. In practice, governments have to choose a point on a continuous spectrum of escalating restrictions, not yet knowing how these restrictions will affect transmissibility, how long they can be sustained, or at what point (if ever) suppression would be achieved, all while knowing that each additional step risks further crippling the economy. Better to acknowledge these uncertainties than pretend they don’t exist. Recognizing them doesn’t mean paralysis, but it does argue for a degree of humility – including when it comes to criticizing governments for their initial reluctance to severely restrict person-to-person contacts. Outright mistakes have certainly been made, but mostly before the pandemic even began. This emergency was a foreseeable event. Governments had appeared to devote thought and effort to preparedness – and yet the West’s systems were all but entirely unprepared. Health systems lacked stockpiles of essential basic equipment. Hospitals had very limited surge capacity, and in most cases, it seems, governments had no plans for developing such capacity at short notice. Lack of preparedness continues to confound smart choices about how best to respond. It imposes limits on testing for the virus, for instance, obscuring the nature of the enemy and ruling out other desirable interventions, such as strictly isolating carriers before they can infect others. For the moment, severe restrictions on personal contact, maximum effort to build testing and surge capacity in health systems, and unsparing economic support for the firms and workers shut down by government edict might be the best we can do. If, in the end, this means mitigation rather than suppression, it will at least have bought some time to build health-system capacity and, one hopes, develop the knowledge necessary to treat and prevent the disease. But, much as we might want to ignore it, the underlying trade-off between fighting the disease and crushing the economy can’t be denied. Whether we admit it or not, it’s already dictating events. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210611/clive-crook/coronavirus-trade-won%E2%80%99t-go-away
Iran Warns US after Deployment of Patriot Air Defense Systems to Iraq
Iran
Baghdad - London - Asharq Al-Awsat
A Patriot launch station set up as a static display during a NATO-led military exercise on October 30, 2018 in Trondheim, Norway. AFP/File photo
Iran and its militias operating in Iraq issued on Tuesday threats to the US, a day after it deployed Patriot air defense systems to the Ain al-Asad base in the province of Anbar and the Harir base near Irbil. The Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned in a statement that the slightest mistake by the "vicious and adventurous enemies" against Iran would be their last, in reference to the United States. “The decisive and destructive response will be unbelievable. It will not even give them the opportunity of expressing regret,” the IRGC said. Patriot systems are composed of high-performance radars and interceptor missiles that can track and destroy incoming ballistic missiles while they are still in the air. They were deployed by Washington as a precaution against Iranian-backed militia attacks. In a tweet posted on his account Tuesday, former Chief-Commander of the IRGC Major-General Mohsen Rezaei compared a possible US attack to an assault by ISIS. "America should leave Iraq; otherwise Iraqis will kick them out,” he said. In Iraq, the deputy secretary-general of Harakat al-Abdal (The Replacements Movement), which is close to Iran, said that the US deployment of Patriot missiles offers the resistance factions the right to fight the American forces and to consider them as occupation armies. Iraq had resisted the deployment because it feared Iran would see it as a threat and further ramp up tensions. Top Iraqi officials who met US Central Command chief General Kenneth McKenzie in February suggested Washington could grant Baghdad some political "cover" by reducing its troop presence in Iraq as it deployed the missiles, a US military source with knowledge of the talks told AFP. In recent weeks, the US-led coalition has significantly drawn down troop levels in Iraq.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210586/iran-warns-us-after-deployment-patriot-air-defense-systems-iraq
Clubs Across Europe in the Dark as Players Battle Wage Cuts
Sports
London - Nick Ames
FC Sion’s Stade Tourbillon: nine players – including the former Arsenal pair Alex Song and Johan Djourou – were sacked by the club last week. Photograph: EuroFootball/Getty Images
As clubs across Europe move to reduce or defer their footballers’ salaries, one thing is crystal clear. There will be no comfortable, one size fits all solution to an issue that faces almost everyone: the need to save money during the coronavirus crisis in an industry that, taking the continent as a whole, pays out 64% of its revenue in wages. That figure, Uefa’s latest, is accurate up to 2018 and will certainly have risen. It is no wonder that, with income streams compromised indefinitely, clubs at all levels are seeking new arrangements. Goodwill – and an understanding that no two situations are the same when dealing with governments, leagues, clubs and even individuals – is essential and the positive stories are offset by examples of clubs being, at best, ham-fisted in their attempts to force through cuts. It is a precarious enough state of affairs to concern Fifpro, the global players’ union, although it is aware every league has its unique challenges and a particular level of recourse to state support. Two cases provide a glimpse into how fraught things may become without compromise. At Sion, in Switzerland, nine players – including the former Arsenal pair Alex Song and Johan Djourou – were sacked last week after refusing a proposal that would, according to one source close to the squad, have seen the highest earners take a reduction of up to 80%. A raft of legal cases is inevitable. The club claim just cause but the players’ stance is that the deal involved a government support package for “partial unemployment” that had not been put into law for footballers at that point. The players are believed to be happy to enter into individual negotiations. Sion have emphasised that the dismissed players were asked for their agreement in the event that the government’s deal, which subsequently came into force, was passed and that they were not fired for rejecting a wage cut per se. The standoff at Dinamo Zagreb, whose players have refused the imposition of a six-month package that would see a third of their wages paid, a third deferred and a third cut entirely, risks becoming similarly drawn out. The Croatian footballers’ association said that, even though the squad want to help, it is too early for such decisions and that the measure seems drastic given the low matchday and TV revenues in the local league. It claims the players were not consulted. Dinamo are yet to respond to a request for comment. Elsewhere, the Guardian has learned of clubs in Scandinavia that have told foreign players to take cuts of between 25% and 50% if they wish to spent the Covid-19 shutdown in their homelands. There is an acknowledgement at all levels below the very top that the issue is an existential one, but the balance between clubs’ financial needs and those of their players is highly delicate and may prove impossible to strike. “We are concerned that a significant number of clubs are acting to unilaterally reduce the salaries of players,” the Fifpro general secretary, Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, told the Guardian. “We are aware of such situations in more than half a dozen countries. In one case, within days of the suspension of the national league, players had their salaries immediately and arbitrarily decreased by two-thirds for a period of six months. While we fully understand the economic pressure employers are facing, we cannot accept unilateral actions that are based neither on individual consent nor collective agreements. As is already happening in other countries, clubs and leagues with cashflow difficulties should meet with national player unions to discuss and negotiate fair and proportionate arrangements.” The willingness of some clubs to take such firm action has led, in certain quarters, to a growing sense that the decks are being cleared for a universal termination of the 2019-20 campaign. But others are keener to bide their time before making demands of their players. The president of a club dominant in its nation’s top flight said he accepted “nothing will be like it was before” when coronavirus has subsided, expecting sponsorship deals to take a particularly punishing hit. But he did not want to rush into a decision about passing any costs on to his team, particularly when football’s legal status in the economy of that country remains unclear. One agent describes wage cuts or deferrals as essentially a two-tier issue, with leading Premier League sides operating in a different sphere to everyone else. Top-flight clubs are understood to be monitoring the subject closely although, in many cases, requests to forego money would be viewed dimly unless they were with the express intention of assisting support staff. While the players and staff at Championship club Leeds have taken a wage deferral for that reason, it is pointed out that a second-tier player in the autumn of a time-limited career who has – for example – a year left on his contract is not as financially secure as most might assume. The implication from many in the game is that livelihoods may be severely damaged if cases are not viewed one by one, as grinding a process as that might be. English chief executives will have noted the examples of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach, whose players have taken temporary cuts of varying degrees to help lower-paid employees. Barcelona’s situation, while caught up in a tangle of complex Spanish employment regulations and existing tensions between squad and board, will also not have escaped attention. Their players are yet to agree reductions of up to 70%. The problem with imposing a blanket decrease within a single club is highlighted by the fact that, as currently proposed, the Barcelona deal could see staff from lesser-remunerated areas – such as the women’s operation or handball team – take the same percentage cut as the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez. The number of players across Europe whose contracts expire in June, or in some cases sooner, brings a further layer of difficulty. As another player representative puts it, most of those trying to pick a way through this situation feel completely in the dark. The worry is that, for all the attempts to meet in the middle, good intentions may not be enough for an industry that has never faced challenges like these. The Guardian Sport
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210576/clubs-across-europe-dark-players-battle-wage-cuts
Morocco's Poor Find It Hard to Comply With Isolation Orders
Features
Asharq Al-Awsat
Moroccan policemen instruct people to return to and remain at home as a measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in the capital Rabat's district of Takadoum. AFP
Self-isolation to help stem the spread of coronavirus has been a hard measure for some Moroccans like Abdellah who stays out in the street to avoid staying indoors without sunlight in the impoverished neighborhood of the capital Rabat where he lives. "I know social isolation is a must. But it's just not possible to stay home all day," says the 49-year-old street trader who lives with his wife and three children. Ever since a March 20 lockdown, flats in densely-populated areas like Takadoum, which is packed with concrete buildings up to four floors high with tiny windows, can feel like virtual prisons. Those who respect the stay-at-home rules gather inside the gates of the buildings just to kill time. Many venture out, AFP reported. Moroccan authorities have deployed police, soldiers and even armored cars in some towns to enforce the lockdown, as the country's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose to 33 on Tuesday out of 574 declared cases. Apart from isolation measures, Morocco has also adopted economic and social measures to assist companies, workers and those dependent on social services. State aid of between 800 and 1,200 dirhams ($80 to $120) is to be allocated for needy families to weather the crisis, from a $3.2-billion emergency package also funded by corporate and private donations Soufiane, 32, lives in a two-bedroom flat with his parents and five siblings, although he is aware of "the seriousness of the illness and importance of quarantine." "We're just overcrowded and it's not easy," he says. Soufiane made a living by selling clothes at a local market, which is closed and whose neighborhood is hemmed in by checkpoints. His neighbor Abdelkhalek, 52, said his five-member family could put up with living "on top of each other in 40 square meters but how can we do that without an income?" He continued: "Conditions to live a decent life just don't exist in many homes. - Rare Distraction - Every night from 6:00 pm, security forces, normally wearing sanitary masks, patrol the narrow alleyways of Takadoum. "Go inside, it's better for you! Protect yourselves from this terrible disease!" an officer called out over a loudspeaker. Most comply without hesitation, others dash out for a last urgent bit of shopping, while some re-emerge once the patrol is gone. The routine, watched from small windows and rooftops, often filmed on mobile phones, provides one of the rare distractions of daily life under lockdown. According to AFP, almost 450 people have been arrested for breaching the public health state of emergency across Morocco, according to the latest official figures. Penalties include up to three months in jail and fines of up to 1,300 dirhams ($130), or both.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210571/moroccos-poor-find-it-hard-comply-isolation-orders
Straight Talk About Masks and Coronavirus Prevention
Opinion
Justin Fox
Justin Fox -
A procedural mask loosely covers the mouth and nose of the wearer and has straps that go over the ears. The term is often used interchangeably with “surgical mask,” but among US medical suppliers a surgical mask is one with ties secured behind one’s head for a snugger, more secure fit. Both are usually made of three or four layers of non-woven fabric, with one of the middle layers a melt-blown polymer that acts as a filter, and both are intended to be disposed of after use. The surgical mask is meant for operating rooms and other sterile environments, procedural masks for areas that need to be clean but not necessarily sterile. Both give wearers some protection from things that might splash into their mouths or noses, but their main role in a medical context is to protect patients from what might come out of the nose or mouth of the wearer. N95 masks, usually marketed as respirators by US medical suppliers, have a different purpose — preventing those who wear them from breathing in small airborne particles (the N95 means that they’re supposed to filter out at least 95% of such particles). Construction workers wear them to keep out dust, firefighters wear them to keep out smoke, inhabitants of some cities wear them to keep out air pollution, and medical practitioners wear them to keep out bacteria and viruses from highly infectious patients. Most are made of spun-bonded polypropylene, and they tend to be stiff, not super-comfortable and a little hard to breathe through. If you don’t put them on just right, you also forgo much of their protection. There’s no magic. N95 respirator masks can protect their wearers even if they’re not health-care providers, and it’s not that hard to put them on correctly. The problem is that the nation’s hospitals have been running out amid a crush of coronavirus patients, and the people working there really ought to get first priority. Also, having tried wearing N95 masks during past visits to polluted Chinese cities and having found the experience so unpleasant that I decided to suck in deadly particulates instead, I am dubious that many people not in situations of intense peril would really wear the things consistently enough to protect themselves. Procedural and surgical masks are cheaper and more comfortable than N95 masks. They don’t offer much protection from disease for their wearers, but do seem to protect everybody else from wearers with infectious diseases. Their widespread use in China and several other Asian countries since January is increasingly being credited with slowing the spread of Covid-19 there. If Western countries want to restart their economies safely if and when the stay-at-home orders succeed in halting the spread of the virus, the wearing of such masks should probably be strongly encouraged. Only … they’re in short supply now too, with hospitals being forced to sew their own surgical masks and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggesting that in a pinch maybe a bandanna will do. Production is ramping up, but the demand is worldwide and most are made far from the US. (this is somewhat less true for N95 respirators, of which Minnesota-based 3M is a leading manufacturer), so I’m not expecting drugstore shelves in the US to be full of them any time soon. I checked online to see if the Walgreens Earloop-Style Face Mask could be purchased at any of the company’s stores right now, and the answer seems to be no, they’re sold out pretty much everywhere. According to the Walgreens Covid-19 information page, meanwhile, it’s a “fact” that “Face masks will not prevent COVID-19 spread. Only patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and healthcare workers caring for them should wear masks.” Again, as in the surgeon general’s statement, the argument seems to be that face masks don’t stop Covid-19 from spreading, except when worn by certain people. Which is of course nonsense. The concern that panic buying of surgical masks will keep them out of the hands of those who need them most is, on the other hand, not nonsense. It was shared by officials in Singapore early in the spread of what they called the “Wuhan virus,” with one government minister reportedly expressing consternation at Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s practice of wearing masks in her public appearances, saying that if he and his colleagues did that the Singapore hospital system “would have broken down” because of mask shortages. Instead of telling people not to wear masks, though, Singaporean authorities announced at the end of January that they would be giving four procedural masks to each of the nation’s 1.3 million households (about two-thirds of whom eventually took the government up on the offer), and asked that they be used sparingly. “You only wear a mask if you are not well and you have to go out to see a doctor,” said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong. “Those who are well do not need to wear a mask.” As a statement of priority that’s fine, but given that there’s some evidence of the new coronavirus being transmitted by people who haven’t developed symptoms yet, it does seem like it could help if mask-wearing were more widespread than that. The head of the Centre for Infection at the University of Hong Kong suggested last week, for example, that non-mask-wearers be banned from public transit there for the time being. In Japan, where mask-wearing has long been common, it seems to be one of the most plausible explanations for why the new coronavirus has spread so slowly amid a government response less vigorous than what is now being seen in much of the rest of the world. The wearing of surgical masks in Japan dates back to the influenza pandemic of 1918-19, according to a brief 2014 history by journalist Jeff Yang in Quartz. By the end of that pandemic, mask-wearing was common all over the world, including in the US, but in Japan a major earthquake and subsequent fires in and around Tokyo in 1923 led people to get their old flu masks out of storage to protect against the smoke and ash. Another flu epidemic in 1934 “cemented Japan’s love affair with the facemask,” Yang wrote, “which began to be worn with regularity during the winter months — primarily, given Japan’s obsession with social courtesy, by cough-and-cold victims seeking to avoid transmitting their germs to others, rather than healthy people looking to prevent the onset of illness.” The practice then spread elsewhere in East Asia, with big boosts in recent decades from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak of 2003 and China’s huge air-pollution problems. (Surgical and procedural masks don’t give as much protection against airborne particulates as N95 masks do, but they do give some.) The result was that most people in most East Asian countries seem to have already had a box of procedural masks or the like in the closet before the new coronavirus made its appearance, and that manufacturers in the region already had reason to make far more such masks every year than was needed just to supply the health-care sector. Given the lack of such consumer demand in the West in the past, it shouldn’t be that big a surprise, or that big an indictment of our politicians and public-health authorities, that we can’t even contemplate having enough procedural or surgical masks for everybody to wear anytime soon. This is no reason to deny that masks can be useful, though. It’s also no reason to despair. Home-made cloth masks, scarves and bandannas aren’t as effective at keeping germs in as three-ply disposable surgical masks are, but they aren’t totally ineffective, either. They also serve the same signaling purpose that masks seem to in Japan and elsewhere — steer clear, I might be contagious. I have a slight fever at the moment, and have been wearing a bandanna over my mouth and nose when I take the dog out for walks. People give me a pretty wide berth! Also, if we’re lucky enough that the spread of the coronavirus slows during the Northern Hemisphere summer, some Western countries maybe just could, with government encouragement, have enough procedural masks on hand for widespread public use during its likely fall rebound. Then, after Covid-19 has been vanquished or at least rendered relatively harmless, we Westerners might want to consider getting into the habit of putting on procedural masks to go out in public whenever we have a fever or even the sniffles. I’m guessing it could save thousands of lives even in normal flu seasons, and would leave us far better prepared for the next pandemic. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210566/justin-fox/straight-talk-about-masks-and-coronavirus-prevention
US Celebrities Hold Coronavirus Concert Fundraiser
Varieties
Los Angeles, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
A message is seen on an electronic display inside a mostly empty 42nd Street subway station during the coronavirus outbreak in New York City, March 20, 2020. Reuters.
Billie Eilish sang on her sofa, Elton John played a keyboard belonging to his children, and the Backstreet Boys sang in harmony from five locations as dozens of musicians put on a fundraiser for the warriors against coronavirus. Those who performed from their homes for the "iHeart Living Room Concert for America" also included Mariah Carey, Camila Cabello, Alicia Keys, Shawn Mendes and Sam Smith. The one-hour show, broadcast on Fox television without commercials, was the biggest joint effort during the pandemic to lift spirits, raise money for those in the frontlines, and remind Americans to wash their hands and keep their distance, Reuters reported. "There are doctors, nurses and scientists on the frontlines. We hope this bit of entertainment can feed and fuel your souls," said John, who hosted the show from his kitchen. All the performances and appearances by celebrities including comedian Ellen DeGeneres and singer Tim McGraw were filmed on phones, home cameras or online platforms. The songs were interspersed with short personal stories from nurses, doctors, truckers, grocery staff, and other essential workers as millions of Americans are subjected to orders to stay home. The concert, also broadcast on radio stations nationwide, urged listeners to donate to charities Feeding America, and First Responders Children's Foundation. The amount raised was not immediately revealed, but more than $1 million was donated in the first 10 minutes, courtesy of $500,000 from Procter & Gamble and a matching sum from Fox Television. "My heart goes out to people who have lost loved ones and also those who are losing their jobs," said Lady Gaga. "After we come out of this horrible thing, I hope we are nicer to each other, and fairer to one another," John said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210561/us-celebrities-hold-coronavirus-concert-fundraiser
EU Launches Naval Mission to Enforce Libya Arms Embargo
Arab World
Brussels - Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 6, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
The European Union announced Tuesday the launch of a new naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea, dubbed Irini, aimed at enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya. The new operation will start work for a year from Wednesday. The European Council said it will have as “its core task the implementation of the UN arms embargo through the use of aerial, satellite and maritime assets.” “In particular the mission will be able to carry out inspections of vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya suspected to be carrying arms or related material to and from Libya,” a statement said. It will also gather information about illegal fuel and oil smuggling from Libya and help build up the Libyan coast guard, including by training its personnel. The EU’s previous naval mission, Operation Sophia, was set up after tens of thousands of migrants began attempting potentially perilous crossings of the Mediterranean in 2015 in search of better lives in Europe. “Diplomacy cannot succeed unless it is backed by action. The UN arms embargo on Libya needs to be effectively enforced,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters as he unveiled the operation. He said the EU sees Irini has “an important part of the solution to contribute to a permanent ceasefire.” Borrell said that while the operation will focus mostly on maritime surveillance, its planes, drones and satellites will be able to monitor airspace and some activities on land in, around and over Libya.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210556/eu-launches-naval-mission-enforce-libya-arms-embargo
Three Useful Ways to Fight Boredom, Coronavirus During Self-Isolation
Varieties
Cairo - Hazem Badr
Foldit is an online game that lets players collaborate and compete in predicting the structure of protein molecules. Photo: Foldit
As people try to maintain social engagement during self-isolation, citizen science offers a unique opportunity to fight boredom. Citizen science is a scientific research conducted in whole or in part, by amateurs and experts. Today it is studying new methods to help people cope with the new situation created by the coronavirus. On Monday, the Science Alert website cited several options through which people can help experts in tackling COVID-19. The first option is by playing Foldit, an online game designed in 2006 by researchers at the University of Washington. It challenges players to fold proteins to better understand their structure and function. The Foldit team is now challenging citizen scientists to design antiviral proteins that can bind with the coronavirus. Back in 2006, Foldit players had discovered a protein structure that may help form an important area in Alzheimer's research known as "plaque". Now, scientists hope players' efforts would help provide a better understanding of the novel coronavirus. To motivate participants, the game developer plan to offer those with the highest scores the chance to manufacture and test their projects. Through this opportunity, Foldit offers a creative tool that could eventually contribute to a future vaccine for the virus. The second option allows people to track the influenza infection by partaking in the online surveillance project FluTracking. By completing a 10-second survey each week, participants will aid researchers in monitoring the prevalence of flu-like symptoms across Australia and New Zealand. It could also help track the spread of the coronavirus and its influenza-like symptoms. The third option is designed for people who tested positive to coronavirus so they can help researched while in quarantine. PatientsLikeMe, allows patients to share their experiences and treatment regimens with others who have similar health concerns. This allows researchers to test potential treatments more quickly.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210551/three-useful-ways-fight-boredom-coronavirus-during-self-isolation
Saudi Arabia Underscores its Ability to Fight Coronavirus
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz chairs a cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA file photo)
The Saudi cabinet underlined on Tuesday the Kingdom’s ability to confront the novel coronavirus and its impact on its society and economy. Holding a virtual meeting, the cabinet reviewed the orders that have been issued to contain the outbreak and efforts exerted by the state in implementing them. The ministers hailed the state for providing additional resources and necessary support that ensures the continuity of the public sector in service of the citizens and residents and in supporting the private sector and economic activities. It also lauded its measures to ensure that food and medicine supplies are available. The cabinet praised Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz’s Royal Decree in which he offered to cover the medical expenses of all coronavirus patients in the Kingdom. King Salman thanked all public and private sector agencies and workers, medical staff, security forces and volunteers for their efforts and sacrifices in combating the coronavirus. He also expressed his gratitude to the citizens and residents for their response and commitment to respecting the preventative measures. The cabinet underscored King Salman’s speech before the virtual G20 summit last week that was hosted by Riyadh and aimed at addressing the coronavirus’ impact on the global economy. On regional developments, the cabinet renewed Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ firing of ballistic missiles towards civilian targets in the Kingdom. It slammed the militias for launching the attack while the world was focusing its efforts on combating the coronavirus.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210546/saudi-arabia-underscores-its-ability-fight-coronavirus
Australian Astronaut Gives People Advice to Adapt to Self-Isolation
Varieties
Sydney - London - Asharq Al-Awsat
A message is seen on an electronic display inside a mostly empty 42nd Street subway station during the coronavirus outbreak in New York City, March 20, 2020. Reuters.
Australian astronaut Andy Thomas has some advice for families adapting to new lives of self-isolation and working from small spaces at home due to the coronavirus outbreak. Twenty years ago the South Australian spent 140 days in a Russian space station confined to a small space, breathing the same air with the same people 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "When I went up I thought this is going to be a tough duty," Thomas told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in an interview. But he recalled that it turned out not to be as bad as he first expected, the German News Agency reported. Thomas said there were two big milestones to conquer to get your basic needs met. "You have to have a food plan. Then you need a plan for personal hygiene. Understand where the food is, how to get what you need for basic nutrition and, if you're a homeowner, I imagine you'll have to figure out a plan for your family," the astronaut explained. "Figuring out how to maintain a personal hygiene plan in the face of social isolation is also important," he stressed, noting that it is important to have access to soap and individual towels, as well as washing consistency. Thomas was based on Mir Space Station, which operated in low Earth orbit from 1986-2001. "Once you find that balance where you're producing useful work, meaningful work and your recreation is fulfilling, then the experience of confinement can be tranquil, serene," he assured. Thomas believes people who are socially isolating should take advantage of teleworking — working online to stay connected to other employees and work systems whilst working from home. "If you can't telework you'll have to find other things to do around the house," he said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210541/australian-astronaut-gives-people-advice-adapt-self-isolation
Asharq Al-Awsat
A woman helps her colleague put on a mask amid coronavirus precautions in a supermarket in Gaza City, Gaza, March 8, 2020. Reuters
Queen Tex factory in Gaza used to specialize in manufacturing shirts and jeans, but with the novel coronavirus epidemic sweeping the globe it has pivoted into medicalwear. Now lines of men are using old sewing machines to stitch together masks while also wearing them, as the blockaded Palestinian enclave develops a homegrown response to the crisis. "We were intending to import masks and suits from China but there were difficulties importing, so we decided to make them ourselves," manager Hassan Alwan told Agence France Presse. His factory says it works to international standards but only has enough material to make around 1,000 hazmat suits. The Gaza Strip has only had a handful of confirmed COVID-19 cases so far. The suits, masks and gloves are being made initially for the local market, with the potential to later export to Israel which is fighting a far larger outbreak. Hamas has stipulated no masks or suits can be exported until the local market's needs have been met. But Hassan Shehata, co-director of another factory, Hasanco, is optimistic he can sell to the Israeli market. "Israeli companies sent us the cloth to produce medical masks for them. They need millions of masks," he said. "We want to produce three million masks." Dozens of employees work 10-hour a day but there are not enough machines to hit their targets, he said. Many Palestinian factories used to supply the Israeli market before 2007. Now, the coronavirus crisis could allow the struggling Gaza textiles industry to make a comeback, said Maher al-Tabbaa of the local chamber of commerce. "The Gaza clothing industry is characterized by high quality that competes globally if it is given the possibility of exporting." Gaza has so far declared only 10 cases of the new coronavirus, starting with two people who returned from Pakistan and were already in quarantine when diagnosed. Seven guards connected to them were later found to have been infected, while a 10th case was announced on Monday. Hamas authorities have closed schools and mosques and Gaza's only other border, with Egypt, has also been closed. More than 1,500 Palestinians who returned from Egypt shortly before the closure have been quarantined in the south of the strip. Yet fears remain that any outbreak in impoverished Gaza could spread rapidly. United Nations envoy Nickolay Mladenov said Monday that Gaza's health system was overstretched even before the disease emerged.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2210536/gaza-factories-sew-masks-coronavirus-response
Algeria's Bouteflika Languishes at Home a Year After His Fall
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika casting his ballot during parliamentary elections in 2017 | AFP
A year after the unexpected downfall of Algeria's longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the ailing octogenarian remains holed up in his plush and medically adapted home, with his detractors still demanding justice. Bouteflika assumed the presidency in 1999, reigning omnipresent over Algeria's political life until a stroke rendered him largely invisible in 2013. Since he resigned under pressure from protesters and the military in April 2019, the public has heard nothing from him. His last appearance was on April 2 last year, when he spoke on television to announce the end of his rule. His downfall had become inevitable after weeks of massive protests that followed his declaration early last year that he would run for a fifth term. Eventually the army, then led by Ahmed Gaid Salah, cut him loose. Since then the former leader, who turned 83 in March, has only rarely left his coastal home in the capital. "He lives surrounded by his sister and a medical team," a source close to his entourage told AFP. Bouteflika continues to "enjoy all the privileges" befitting his rank as a former leader, according to Mohamed Hennad, a former political science professor at the University of Algiers. But virtually nothing is known about his daily life. "He receives few visits. He is confined to his wheelchair and remains virtually speechless," said Algerian journalist Farid Alilat in an interview last month with Le Point newspaper. "However he is aware of everything that is happening in Algeria," Alilat added. Bouteflika's isolation has not stopped some public figures demanding he face justice for the corruption that infected the country during his 20 years in power. Algerians can never turn the page on the Bouteflika years unless he is tried for the painful damage inflicted by his rule, said Hennad, who is now an analyst close to the "Hirak" protest movement that forced Bouteflika from power. - 'Godfather of corruption' - Algeria's judiciary has since Bouteflika's fall prosecuted and in some cases imprisoned a slew of former politicians and influential businessmen for abusing their privileges and links to the ex-president's clan. Nacer Djabi, a prominent sociologist, argues the former head of state should appear in court -- "even symbolically" -- as recent cases have portrayed him as "the godfather of corruption". "He shouldn't escape punishment. That's a demand of Algerians who have discovered with horror the extent of the damage caused by this man and his family," Djabi told AFP. Abdelaziz Rahabi, a former diplomat and one-time minister in the first Bouteflika government who went on to become an opponent, also called for his prosecution. The former president "has a responsibility for the corruption. He covered it up," Rahabi said in a television interview. "A judgement would be symbolic," he said, stopping short of calling for Bouteflika's imprisonment in light of his poor health. On the other hand, the ex-president's brother Said Bouteflika -- an influential adviser considered the real holder of power in the country during his tenure -- is languishing in prison. Said Bouteflika was in September last year sentenced to 15 years in jail for plotting against the army and the state, a sentence that was confirmed on appeal in February. Algerians have clearly moved on from Bouteflika's rule, according to political scientist Hasni Abidi. But "they have the sentiment that while the man is gone, the bad practices persist and the system that made Bouteflika what he was remains in place," he said. The same followers and cronies "are ready to cluster around a new patron, reproducing the same network in an undemocratic system," Abidi added. A reinforcement of the status quo is the Hirak movement's main fear. Protests have been suspended in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but Hirak supporters vow to continue their struggle, in order to overhaul the entire ruling system that has been in place since Algeria's independence in 1962.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208871/algerias-bouteflika-languishes-home-year-after-his-fall
US, Israel Conclude Drills on Possible Iranian Attacks on Tel Aviv
World
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat
An Israeli air force F-35 jet. (AP file photo)
The Israeli and US air forces concluded on Monday joint drills simulating measures when facing air threats and a possible Iranian missile attack on Israel. An Israeli army spokesman said the goal of the exercise was to enhance cooperation in joint air defenses and counter missile threats. The forces were trained in Negev desert on the F-35 stealth fighter jets and simulated scenarios in which they had to deal with both aerial threats and varying strategic threats from the ground. The troops were trained on a scenario of US forces’ arrival in Israel and cooperating with the Israeli air defense system in protection missions, in case Israel was attacked by missiles and rocket-propelled grenades from several fronts. The three-day exercise was conducted despite the coronavirus outbreak. All contacts between the Israeli and US crew were done remotely through shared communication in the air and all flights were instructed using video conferencing, in light of concerns over the outbreak. An Israeli army spokesman said that the exercise showed Israel’s close relationship with the US military and “increased the sharing of knowledge and study of the F-35’s capabilities and improves the operational capabilities of the Air Force.” The spokesman said the Air Force continues to maintain full operational capabilities, and works in an emergency to continue to perform its mission of defending the country at all times.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208851/us-israel-conclude-drills-possible-iranian-attacks-tel-aviv
Lebanon: Banks Stop USD Withdrawals, Open Transfers to Students Abroad
Business
Beirut- Asharq Al-Awsat
Lebanon: Banks Stop USD Withdrawals, Open Transfers to Students Abroad
Lebanese banks are easing international transfers to students living abroad, head of the Lebanese Association of Banks (ABL) Salim Sfeir announced on Monday. In a statement, the ABL said banks were “committed to transferring the appropriate amounts of money to Lebanese students residing abroad,” underlining the need to shoulder “national, professional, and humanitarian responsibilities” amid the current circumstances in Lebanon and the fight against the coronavirus. Meanwhile, a source at the ABL told AFP on Monday that Lebanese banks have stopped dollar withdrawals, except for fresh money received directly to depositors from abroad. A member of the association, speaking on condition of anonymity, said all dollar withdrawals would be halted “pending the airport reopening.” “Dollars are imported and this is no longer possible because of the coronavirus,” the source told AFP. Banks have started imposing restrictions on dollar withdrawals since the beginning of the anti-government protests in October. The amount allowed ranged between 200-400 dollars per month, before the outbreak of the coronavirus. Minister of Finance Ghazi Wazni and Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti, during their meeting with Sfeir, stressed “the need to repatriate students” who are studying in virus-stricken countries and “increase the allowed amounts transferred by their families to secure their return.” Sfeir promised that banks “will start transferring the appropriate amounts to students” starting Monday, March 30.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208836/lebanon-banks-stop-usd-withdrawals-open-transfers-students-abroad
Curfew in Egypt Sees Limited Violations, Immediate Penalties
Arab World
Cairo - Walid Abdulrahman
A woman wears a protective face mask inside a hypermarket in Cairo, Egypt (File photo: Reuters)
Egypt’s partial lockdown enters its second week after authorities imposed a nationwide restriction on movement on public roads from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM local time, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Observers said there were limited violations in various regions around the country during the past days, especially with the immediate fines imposed on violators. Authorities asked governors and security officials to ensure new measures are imposed, and penalize those who violate the law. Ahmed Abdul-Hamid, 30, makes sure to leave work within the authorized time to avoid penalty or prison. He indicated that the authorities’ decision to prohibit movement aims to prevent the spreading of the virus, noting that he has not seen many violations of the lockdown and the majority of people are committed to measures. Police deployed its forces in various locations and the Interior Ministry urged citizens to commit to the partial lockdown, stressing it will take legal action against those who violate the law. Meanwhile, Public Prosecution called on citizens to follow the law and avoid publishing fake news on social media, and to adhere to the measures issued by state institutions during the current period in which the country is going through to preserve the public safety and health of citizens. Egypt’s Attorney General, Counselor Hamada El-Sawy released two girls accused of creating social media accounts to incite non-compliance with the decisions banning movement within the announced times. The two girls were arrested and accused of disturbing public order, endangering the safety and security of society, disrupting the provisions of the law, and harming social peace, according to a judicial source. On Monday, the Public Prosecution detained 10 people for 15 days, pending the investigations, accusing them of spreading false news and misusing social media.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208816/curfew-egypt-sees-limited-violations-immediate-penalties
Salman Al-Dossary
Salman Al-Dossary - Salman Al-Dossary is the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
From now, people will know that nothing is unimaginable and that they need to rethink everything that they have read about in books and seen in fantasy movies. Not since the Second World War have societies seen such a dramatic change as they are now seeing during the coronavirus outbreak. Airports and trains have practically come to a halt, highways are deserted, borders are closes, health systems have collapsed… even taking a walk in the park is deemed a luxury. Walking on the streets tomorrow? A dream. Isolation has become the rule and carrying on with life as it was has become the exception. According to figures published by the Frances’ Les Echos on Saturday, the rate of isolation tripled in the past ten days. Sixty countries, or 3.26 billion people, meaning 43 percent of mankind, are under curfew or strictly advised to stay at home and to venture out for essential goods, medical treatment or work. As we continue to live in this unprecedented horror movie, the number of infections around the world continues to rise dramatically. For example, Italy, whose population makes up 4 percent of China, has registered more infections than China itself. There is however, some hope to take from the Asian experience, especially in China, Japan and South Korea. China has gradually eased restrictions and some restaurants have reopened. Japan and South Korea have also eased restrictions, while the United States and Europe have turned into epicenters of the virus. I won’t be exaggerating in saying that the second shock, after the first shock of the virus itself, is just how fast the pandemic is spreading and how dangerous it is, in Europe specifically. It was believed that Europe boasted the world’s best health systems. Now, it appears that Italy and Spain are “competing” with Iran, with all of its backward systems, in registering the greatest number of cases and deaths. To get a better picture, let us assume that a war were to break out between Britain or France with Hong Kong, for example. We would be shocked if the war machine of the two European countries would be defeated so easily by such a small state. But this is what’s happening now. The greatest government systems in the world are helpless in stopping the spread of the coronavirus. I believe that the majority of countries adopted one of two strategies: The first relied on strict preventive measures before the outbreak spread across their territories. The second relied on the awareness of people to confront the virus. In this second strategy, governments, specifically western ones, did not adopt preventive measures or strict rules, given the nature of their political systems, which did not allow for such measures to begin with because they were viewed as restrictions on personal freedoms, in the western definition of the term, of course. The coronavirus crisis was soon upon them and they failed in preempting it and carrying out what was necessary to save the lives of hundreds of thousands, or perhaps millions, of its people in the coming weeks. In contrast, countries that took preemptive preventive measures, succeeded in predicting the impending danger before it was too late. It is odd that the two strategies have the same goal, which is saving people from a human disaster. However, one succeeded, for now at least, and the other, failed, for now at least, as well. It has been proven on the ground, especially at times of catastrophes, that strict rules and order save lives, says Michelle Gelfand, a psychology professor at the University of Maryland. During the coronavirus crisis, the hardest question confronting scientists, politicians and doctors is: When will this disaster end? The truth is, no one knows. The difference is that there are some political systems that have realized the danger early on and have limited the possibility of the spread of the virus and protected themselves from imminent catastrophe. They have not left room for criticism against them from their people. Other political systems, however, waited for catastrophe to strike and acted late, incurring the wrath of the people. The irony here is that the systems that realized the danger ahead of time are accused of violating human rights, while the others pride themselves in defending them, for the world to discover that the principles that protect public liberties are the ones that are failing in saving lives.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208766/salman-al-dossary/coronavirus-strict-rules-and-order-save-lives
Baghdad, Mosul- Asharq Al-Awsat
US and Iraqi officials signing a document during a pullout ceremony at the Qayyarah air base on March 26, 2020. (AFP)
US troops withdrew from all their military positions inside the presidential palaces north of Mosul, 400 km north of Baghdad, announced Nineveh Operations Command. Shortly before that, Al-Iraqiya state television reported that the US-led international coalition forces handed over their headquarters in Nineveh Governorate to the Iraqi Defense Ministry. A security source in Nineveh announced last Thursday the withdrawal of the US forces from Qayyarah airbase, the largest in the province 60 km south of Mosul. The forces only kept an artillery battalion and special forces soldiers at the base. On Sunday, the US forces handed over K1 airbase to the Iraqi military, followed by the Qaim base near the border with Syria. The official spokesman for the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, Mohammed Muhyei, described the US withdrawal from some bases as merely “repositioning after the strong blows from factions of the Iraqi people.” The withdrawal of the US forces from some military bases in different regions of the country is a repositioning to search for safer areas, after they were subjected to strong military strikes by the factions of the Iraqi people who reject their presence, Muhyei told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). Muhyei pledged that forces will continue to target the US forces wherever they are because the US presence in Iraq is illegal. He warned the US forces against any aggression on the Iraqi people, or any attempt for a military coup against the political process, or targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) leaders, or assassinating influential Iraqi national figures. “The Iraqi people have the right to confront the US presence, but we disagree with others on the kind or timing of the strikes. Ultimately, it’s the people’s right,” said the spokesman. Earlier, the New York Times revealed that the Pentagon has ordered military commanders to plan for an escalation of US combat in Iraq, issuing a directive to prepare a campaign to destroy an Iranian-backed militia group, including Iraqi Hezbollah, that has threatened more attacks against US troops. Some top officials have been pushing for aggressive new action against Iran and its proxy forces, and “see an opportunity to try to destroy Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq as leaders in Iran are distracted by the pandemic crisis [coronavirus] in their country,” reported NYT.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208756/us-troops-pull-out-iraqi-base-mosul
Hamdok to Visit Cairo, Addis Ababa to Resume Renaissance Dam Talks
Arab World
Khartoum - Ahmad Youness
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdouk (Suna News Agency)
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok revealed on Monday plans to visit Cairo and Addis Ababa to urge the two parties to resume negotiations over the Renaissance Dam and the remaining important issues. Hamdok said he spoke with US Secretary of Treasury Steven Terner Mnuchin over the phone and the two discussed the resumption of negotiations between Cairo and Addis Ababa. The two sides agreed that the Dam issue is very pressing and negotiations should be resumed once the world beats the COVID-19. Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan were expected to sign an agreement in Washington last month following a round of talks facilitated by the US Treasury Department, which stepped in after Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi reached out to US President Donald Trump. However, Ethiopia unexpectedly kipped the meeting. For its part, Addis Ababa says it cannot sign any international agreement while the country awaits presidential and parliamentary elections that are scheduled for August. Later, Ethiopia said it was planning to start filling the dam reservoir irrespective of a final deal, a move that could trigger a deep regional crisis. Egypt is worried Ethiopia will fill the reservoir too quickly, reducing water flow downstream. Following the stalled negotiations that took place under the auspices of the United States and the World Bank, Cairo and Addis Ababa have sent diplomatic envoys to various countries to drum up support in their row over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208731/hamdok-visit-cairo-addis-ababa-resume-renaissance-dam-talks
Riyadh- Asharq Al-Awsat
The KSRelief on Monday signed an agreement with the World Health Organization to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (SPA)
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief) signed on Monday in Riyadh an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) granting it $10 million in financial support for urgent action needed to minimize the spread of COVID-19. The support has been announced in response to an urgent appeal from WHO and under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The agreement was signed by Assistant Supervisor General of the Center for Operations and Programs Eng. Ahmed al-Bayez and WHO Representative in the Kingdom Dr. Ibrahim al-Zeeq. The WHO representative expressed, in a press statement after the signing, his thanks and gratitude to the Kingdom represented by KSrelief for supporting humanitarian works in general, and for its generous and continuous support to the organization. Zeeq said this step indicated the Kingdom’s keenness on human health, safety, and protection from epidemics and diseases. He added that the WHO will use these funds to purchase safety kits for health workers and laboratory equipment to support research on the virus. Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief Dr. Abdullah al-Rabeeah praised the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to combat the coronavirus. These directives embody the noble human role of the Kingdom and reflect its keenness to harness its potentials and resources in serving humanitarian issues, in full cooperation with the United Nations, its agencies, organizations and the international community for the interest of the humanity, he added.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2208701/ksrelief-provides-10m-who-fight-covid-19
