Two babies killed by winter cold in north-west Syria


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Two Syrian infant girls have died from freezing weather in the country's north-west, the UN said on Tuesday.

Snow and rain have destroyed the tents of hundreds of displaced families in Syria's Idlib province.

“A seven-day-old girl and a two-month-old girl have died from the cold in Idlib province,” the UN's humanitarian agency OCHA told AFP.

They were taken to the Al Rahman specialist hospital in the Idlib village of Haranbush, where many children have been taken in recent days amid sub-zero temperatures.

Al Rahman medical director Dr Mazen Al Talawi confirmed the deaths.

Seven-day-old Fatima Mohammad Al Mahmoud was from the Al Laith camp. She was brought to the hospital at 2am “with cold limbs, dilated pupils, and was unresponsive,” Dr Al Talawi told AP by phone.

Two-month-old Amina Mohammad Salama, from the Huwar Al Ais camp, arrived at the hospital cold and blue with low blood sugar and extreme pulmonary bleeding at 1pm on Monday.

“We received her, her situation worsened and worsened until she died at 6pm,” Dr Al Talawi said.

Mohammad Al Mahmoud, father of a seven-day-old baby Fatima, at her grave in Haranbush village in Idlib province, Syria. AP
Mohammad Al Mahmoud, father of a seven-day-old baby Fatima, at her grave in Haranbush village in Idlib province, Syria. AP

About 7,000 thousand people live in the town of Haranbush, surrounded by 70,000 people living in neighbouring camps, according to Dr Al Talawi. He said the hospital is being inundated with cases because of the cold.

“We try to get children out of here in a few days because of the enormous number of cases that are coming. The entire hospital only has 15 beds for children and eight cribs. The space is tight and we have no ability to do more,” he said.

Deaths caused by the cold are an annual occurrence in Syria's last major rebel enclave, which the UN says is home to 2.8 million displaced people.

Dwindling donor funds have already caused dire shortages of medicine and equipment in hospitals and clinics in the region, many of which are now at risk of closing down.

In northwestern Syria, 80 per cent of the displaced people who live in overcrowded informal camps are women and children, according to the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian aid organisation.

“Children are at risk of the cold. They live in worn-out tents and there is a lack of winter clothes and fuel,” said Patrick Nicholson, spokesman for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Doctors check babies at the neonatal intensive care unit of Al Rahman hospital in the village of Haranbush. EPA
Doctors check babies at the neonatal intensive care unit of Al Rahman hospital in the village of Haranbush. EPA

“The problem is getting worse due to the economic crisis, lack of resources to provide winter aid and increased needs.”

Harsh weather in January has destroyed at least 935 tents and damaged more than 9,000 others in several displacement sites in Syria's north, said the UN.

Unsafe heating methods, including exposed rudimentary heaters, have often triggered deadly fires.

Since the start of the year, 68 fires were reported, which resulted in two deaths and 24 injuries in northern Syria alone, said the UN.

The Save the Children charity condemned the latest deaths in a statement.

“It is incomprehensible that any child should face the winter scared for their life,” the statement said. “These avoidable and tragic deaths are a dreadful example of how children urgently need more humanitarian support.”

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Based: UAE

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Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

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Tearful appearance

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Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

England squad

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2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.

2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus

2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.

2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.

2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.

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Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')

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Always use only regulated platforms

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Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Ahmed Saadawi
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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Tuesday, October 29

Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE

Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman

Wednesday, October 30

Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one

Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two

Thursday, October 31

Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four

Friday, November 1

Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one

Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two

Saturday, November 2

Third-place playoff, 2.10pm

Final, 7.30pm

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Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
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Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Points to remember
  • Debate the issue, don't attack the person
  • Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
  • Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
  • Listen actively without interrupting
  • Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

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Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

Updated: February 03, 2022, 6:17 AM`