A child at the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. EPA
A child at the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. EPA
A child at the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. EPA
A child at the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan. EPA

UN slashes cash aid for Syrian refugees in Jordan


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The UN food agency will reduce monthly cash aid for 120,000 Syrian refugees living in two camps in Jordan because of what it described as an “unprecedented funding crisis”.

From August, the monthly cash allowance for camp residents will be reduced to $21, from $32, the World Food Programme said on Tuesday.

Jordan is a country of 11 million people and hosts about 1.3 million refugees from Syria.

Most of them live in towns and cities across the kingdom while several tens of thousands have settled in two camps, Zaatari and Azraq.

Jordanian officials have warned that the kingdom cannot fill the gap left by international donors.

The agency said last week it would gradually cut off 50,000 refugees in Jordan from its assistance altogether. The WFP had initially covered 465,000 refugees.

For years, UN agencies and international humanitarian organisations have struggled to reach budgetary requirements for their assistance in Syria and for Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries.

This has been due to donor fatigue, the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and Ukraine’s war with Russia.

Although Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s government was able to reclaim large pieces of territory with the help of its allies, Russia and Iran, the crisis in the war-torn country remains in a stalemate.

“As funding dries up, our hands are tied,” Alberto Correia Mendes, the WFP representative for Jordan said.

The Zaatari refugee camp near the Jordanian city of Mafraq on Tuesday. AFP
The Zaatari refugee camp near the Jordanian city of Mafraq on Tuesday. AFP

The agency said that even with the current cuts, it still faces a funding shortfall of about $41 million and may have to impose additional measures.

Funding cuts have also affected millions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Turkey, where anti-refugee rhetoric and calls for mass deportations have surged in light of economic and political turmoil.

Syria's uprising-turned-civil war, now in its 13th year, has killed about half a million people and displaced half of its prewar population of 23 million.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi spoke about the kingdom's inability to fill in funding gaps at this year's annual donor conference on Syria in Brussels last June. Last week, he warned again that “refugees will suffer”.

“This is not on Jordan. It is on those who are cutting support,” he said. “Providing dignified lives to refugees is a global responsibility. It is not ours alone as host country.”

Dominik Bartsch, the UN refugee agency's representative to Jordan, said the aid rollback has forced agencies to look only to the most vulnerable families, leaving many in need without assistance.

“There is an imminent risk that the situation is sliding back into a humanitarian crisis with serious consequences for refugees and host communities,” Mr Bartsch said.

In a visit to Damascus on July 4 where he met Mr Al Assad, Mr Safadi called for investment into Syria's battered infrastructure to speed up voluntary refugee returns.

Jordan has also spearheaded regional talks with Damascus to reach a solution to end the conflict.

The sanctions of western nations on Syria still stand, including for alleged war crimes and involvement in the drug trade.

They have not endorsed the restoration of ties with Mr Al Assad or funding reconstruction, as Arab countries have.

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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

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Company Profile

Company name: NutriCal

Started: 2019

Founder: Soniya Ashar

Based: Dubai

Industry: Food Technology

Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount

Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia

Total Clients: Over 50

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

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Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

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Credit Score explained

What is a credit score?

In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.

Why is it important?

Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.

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The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.

How can I improve my score?

By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.

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Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

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Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)

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Bournemouth 2

Wilson 70', Ibe 74'

Arsenal 1

Bellerin 52'

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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

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Torque: 370Nm

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Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
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Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa

The specs
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  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
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Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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PROFILE OF HALAN

Started: November 2017

Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport and logistics

Size: 150 employees

Investment: approximately $8 million

Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar

Updated: July 19, 2023, 4:27 AM