Gaza aid looting being carried out by 'desperate' people, UNRWA says

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A quarter of 115 lorries carrying critical aid to Gaza have been looted by “desperate, hungry and traumatised” people who are living in deprivation, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said.

“The attempt to access food shouldn’t come as a surprise,” UNRWA spokeswoman Tamara Al Rifai told The National. She said the behaviour is a reflection of people's “hunger and despair”.

Ms Al Rifai compared the scenes of people climbing on to lorries in Gaza with incidents in some countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, when shops' shelves were emptied of supplies.

“People were ransacking supermarkets in the most sophisticated and affluent cities around the world. It's the same feeling of despair and fear of not being able to access food,” she said.

Israel had blocked aid from entering the Gaza Strip since March 2. It only allowed a minimal amount to enter a few days ago after mounting international pressure, including from some of its closest allies.

The volume of aid reaching Gaza was merely “a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed”, said Tom Fletcher, the UN's under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator.

Gaza's Health Ministry has reported at least 57 child deaths from malnutrition since the blockade began. Mr Fletcher warned on Tuesday that thousands of babies could die soon without immediate intervention.

If more aid was allowed into Gaza, looting would diminish as people gained a sense of security and assurance that they would get enough food and assistance, Ms Al Rifai said.

She acknowledged the seriousness of the looting, but said it was a by-product of placing 2.2 million people under constant bombardment and depriving them of adequate food and water for 12 weeks.

“They are being used as a pawn in this conflict where aid has become one of the tactics of war,” she said.

The risks faced by the UN and other NGO workers is not limited to looting, Ms Al Rifai said. It also includes Israel's bombing campaigns, unexploded ordnance and damaged roads.

She said there are enough goods to fill 9,000 lorries in warehouses in Egypt and Jordan that are ready to be loaded and sent into Gaza the moment the borders open.

UNRWA says 310 members of staff have been killed in the conflict so far. “But our priority is to bring the aid in.”

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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

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Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

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Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

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Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

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Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

Seven tips from Emirates NBD

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Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)

Title card:

Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)

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