Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
When the conflict in Gaza began in October last year, Amani Ahmed had just left her family to study in the UK and expected it to be over in a matter of months.
The lecturer believed when she left the Palestinian enclave that she would return to her young family shortly. But as the war escalated and their home was bombed, it was thanks to the work of a non-profit, the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), that the family were rescued and reunited with her in the UK.
Ms Ahmed is one of 15 Palestinian academics being supported since October 2023 by Cara, which rescues academics at risk from persecution, violence and conflict and finds them placements at UK universities. Since the outbreak of war, Cara has received more than 120 applications for help from Palestinians.
Mother-of-four Ms Ahmed, who was head of the international relations department at the Islamic University of Gaza, is studying for a PhD at the University of Edinburgh. Because phone connections to the enclave often went down, she had to wait anxiously for news of her children, hoping for their safety as air strikes damaged the family’s home in central Gaza.
“When I left on October 2, 2023, to continue my studies after spending summer and annual leave in Gaza with the family and my children, I thought I would be back in one month, and I left most of my belongings at home,” she told The National.
“I did not expect a war or any escalation to happen. The context seemed to me to be stable, otherwise I would not have left my family. Previously, I had experienced wars, which were terrifying, but it was not at the same level of destruction and killing as it is in the current war.
“The bombings were very heavy near my home. It caused destruction of the windows and the glass was [scattered] everywhere while my family was inside. My husband had to take my children in the middle of the night, and under the heavy bombing and air strikes, to a friend’s house nearby as they were panicking.
“Everyone sees on social media what's happening in Gaza, with people losing limbs and out on the streets after their homes have been destroyed. Every time we go online, we worry that this might be a relative or a friend.”
The charity helped support the rescue of her four children, one of whom was a young baby, and her partner as her scholarship did not cover the visa costs of family members, leaving them trapped in Gaza. They have now joined her in Scotland.
She is one of two Palestinian academics who have been helped and placed at leading universities by Cara, and 13 more Gaza academics are on their way to safety in the UK. The second academic, who has not been identified, had been working as a faculty dean at Gaza University and was evacuated with his family in November 2023.
He was placed at Cambridge University, where he is completing a visiting fellowship. “The devastation wasn’t something I watched from afar – it was something I lived through every single day until my escape. It hit me really hard,” he said.
Palestinians represent the highest number of academics needing urgent assistance in 2024, according to the charity. Since the war began, the UN has estimated that 80 per cent of schools and universities in Gaza have been destroyed. The Education Ministry in Gaza says at least 105 Palestinian academics have been killed.
The 13 more Palestinian academics Cara is also supporting will soon arrive in the UK and start placements at York, Glasgow, Newcastle, Durham and Leeds universities.
One academic, who is due to start at the University of York, had been working at the University College of Applied Sciences in Gaza when the conflict began and was forced to relocate several times with his family. He escaped via the Rafah border crossing between Palestine and Egypt. From there Cara helped him obtain a working visa, the placement and helped to fund and relocate his family of six.
Cara said frequent communication blackouts and closed border crossings are creating exceptionally challenging conditions for the charity to operate in, meaning requests for help far outweigh those people who can be safely rescued.
Two returned to Gaza shortly before the outbreak of the war, one of whom has since been killed and the other describes life as a struggle.
“We are still alive in a horrible situation, moving from place to place,” the survivor said, speaking anonymously. “We are sleeping on the sand near the sea with little food, water and power, under continuous fire attacks. We still do hope for peace.”
Founded in the 1930s, Cara supports scholars fleeing violence, repression and threats to intellectual and individual freedom. It facilitates their escape, often with their families, using an extensive network of contacts to navigate security, logistical, geographical, travel and visa challenges.
The charity puts together a package of funding support and practical arrangements, including visas sponsored by the host universities, to enable academics to continue their work in the UK safely.
In the past three academic years, Cara has reported a 400 per cent increase in demand, compared to the previous three-year period. It is the highest level the charity has recorded. Stephen Wordsworth, the charity's executive director, said it urgently needs funding to continue its work.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our charity’s history,” he said. “The desperate pleas for help from scholars facing persecution and danger – in Gaza and around the world – have surged to levels not seen since our foundation nearly a century ago.”
“Despite relocating more threatened academics than at any time in our history – thanks to the generous support of our university partners – the sheer number of academics now at risk poses a major challenge.
“To meet this challenge and continue this vital work, we must secure additional funding. With greater support, we would be able to give even more scholars the chance to rebuild their lives and importantly, their shattered societies, when it is safe for them to return.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UK%20-%20UAE%20Trade
%3Cp%3ETotal%20trade%20in%20goods%20and%20services%20(exports%20plus%20imports)%20between%20the%20UK%20and%20the%20UAE%20in%202022%20was%20%C2%A321.6%20billion%20(Dh98%20billion).%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThis%20is%20an%20increase%20of%2063.0%20per%20cent%20or%20%C2%A38.3%20billion%20in%20current%20prices%20from%20the%20four%20quarters%20to%20the%20end%20of%202021.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20was%20the%20UK%E2%80%99s%2019th%20largest%20trading%20partner%20in%20the%20four%20quarters%20to%20the%20end%20of%20Q4%202022%20accounting%20for%201.3%20per%20cent%20of%20total%20UK%20trade.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
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The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
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Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
