At an outdoor kitchen in the heart of Damascus, set up just metres away from the Syrian capital’s famed Umayyad Mosque, dozens of volunteers toil away to prepare thousands of meals before the sun sets.
The volunteers are from Saaed, a local non-profit group that has been feeding Syria’s hungry masses during Ramadan for the past decade.
The charitable practice, common in other parts of the region, was unknown in Syria before the onset of a civil war that has left most of its people impoverished and in need of aid.
“Field kitchens were never seen in Syria before the war,” says founder Essam El Habal, as he adds handfuls of salt to a massive pot of boiling rice.
"But the violence and financial sanctions have left many Syrians impoverished and in need, which made it up to us — those who can — to join hands and help."
A UN report released last month showed more than 90 per cent of Syria’s population are living below the poverty line, while 12 million — more than two-thirds — have insecure food supplies and 14.6 million need humanitarian assistance.
“Fewer people had sufficient access to nutritious food in Syria than at any other point during the last 10 years,” the World Food Programme said of 2021.
The UN agency attributed this to a devastated economy that deprived many of livelihoods and sufficient income, while food prices continued to rise.
‘Be gone, hunger’
The humanitarian crisis has made the services of Saaed, and similar groups, more important than ever.
Under the motto of “Khasi al jou” — “Be gone, hunger” in Syrian dialect — Saaed has provided more than four million meals over the past 10 years.
On the first day of Ramadan this year, April 2, the group handed out 5,000 meals.
Only Syrians feel the plight of other Syrians
Moataz Hamouda. Saaed volunteer
“Food is offered to anyone who comes with pots and containers to be filled up,” Mr El Habal told The National.
"Other meals are delivered to the doorsteps of impoverished families whose details we’ve gathered."
The number of meals provided by Saaed rose steadily from 130,000 in 2013 to 750,000 in 2019, before dipping because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“In 2020, due to Covid-19, we managed to distribute 150,000 meals only as we worked within a limited, closed kitchen, under strict precautionary regulations to ensure everyone’s safety,” Mr El Habal says.
The National was unable to speak to beneficiaries of the initiative because of media regulations imposed by the government to respect the recipients' privacy and avoid embarrassing them.
A team of about 125 volunteers operates the field kitchen in Damascus, where barriers are set up to control the crowd.
Other teams operate in the capital's rural outskirts, as well as across Aleppo and Al Quneitra. Altogether, Saaed has about 3,000 people working to feed the hungry.
Joy of giving
Working long hours under the hot sun to meet the deadline of sunset, which is when Muslims break their day’s fast, Saaed’s volunteers have clearly divided tasks to ensure everything runs smoothly.
While some chop vegetables, prepare ingredients and handle boiling pots, others are assigned to fill the containers of those who come to the kitchen or pack meals for delivery.
Moataz Hamouda, a volunteer in his 20s, has been a part of Saaed’s team for eight years. Mr Hamouda says being part of the kitchen is a “fulfilling passion” to which he looks forward every year.
“It's an image I like being a part of, that of a group of considerate youths who come together for a good cause,” he says. “Only Syrians feel the plight of other Syrians."
While Mr Hamouda performs various tasks as needed, “the best moments of my life are when I deliver food to families right before sunset call for prayer”.
“This always leaves a profound impression in my heart,” he says.
Mr El Habal says the meals are all provided through donations.
“Benefactors provide the ingredients for us to use and always request to remain anonymous out of respect to Syrian families, many of whom feel uncomfortable about the economic state they have reached due to the ongoing circumstances," he says.
"Merchants also provide some of our ingredients at discounted prices or for free."
Financial burdens and economic hardship crop up frequently in the chatter among Saaed volunteers as they prepare the food, and also among the crowds who start to gather as sunset nears.
The World Food Programme says rapidly growing needs “have outpaced contributions despite strong donor support”.
Despite his young age, Faris Al Hamoud, 10, is well aware of the hardship all around after volunteering at Saaed for four years.
As he peels carrots, he tells The National that his volunteering has taught him selflessness and compassion.
"I pray for Saaed’s meals to reach all those in need in Syria. I really do pray that ‘hunger, be gone'," Faris says.
This story has been published in collaboration with Egab.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Bullet%20Train
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Leitch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%2C%20Brian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Sandra%20Bullock%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Small%20Things%20Like%20These
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MEYDAN RESULTS
6.30pm Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer).
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Galaxy Road, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Al Modayar, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
Winner Lady Parma, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Zaajer, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS
AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas
DevisionX – manufacturing
Event Gates – security and manufacturing
Farmdar – agriculture
Farmin – smart cities
Greener Crop – agriculture
Ipera.ai – space digitisation
Lune Technologies – fibre-optics
Monak – delivery
NutzenTech – environment
Nybl – machine learning
Occicor – shelf management
Olymon Solutions – smart automation
Pivony – user-generated data
PowerDev – energy big data
Sav – finance
Searover – renewables
Swftbox – delivery
Trade Capital Partners – FinTech
Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment
Workfam – employee engagement
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
HOW TO WATCH
Facebook: TheNationalNews
Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
RESULTS
1.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winners: Hyde Park, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
2.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
2.45pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Hurry Up, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.15pm: Shadwell Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 (TB) Dh575,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Blown by Wind, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
3.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh72,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mazagran, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
4.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh64,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Obeyaan, Adrie de Vries, Mujeeb Rehman
4.45pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Shanaghai City, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
AGUERO'S PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Apps: 186
Goals: 127
Assists: 31
Wins: 117
Losses: 33
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
