I was in a conundrum. Do I exit my job or insist on staying? That was in 2004 and I was the UN chief in Sudan. The challenge arose from offending then president Omar Al Bashir’s government when I accused it of ethnic cleansing in Darfur.
The UN Human Rights Commission, European Parliament, donors, NGOs and media urged me to stay firm. But the Sudanese authorities threatened that unless I went, they would stop co-operation. Not just with me but with the entire UN presence in the country. At the time, we constituted the world’s biggest humanitarian operation providing lifesaving services across Africa’s largest territory.
A moment’s wrestling with my conscience made clear that no matter my principled stance, holding on to my position was just grandstanding. And futile because it meant desperately needy people held hostage in the struggle between the Sudanese leadership and my mission. So, my duty lay in leaving – having alerted the world to what was confirmed as genocide by the International Criminal Court.
I reflect on that experience because a comparable – though more complex – quandary confronts UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
Israel wants to stop it operating following serious – although contested – allegations against the agency. An independent review in April concluded that Israel had not provided evidence to support its accusation that a significant number of UNRWA’s employees in the Gaza Strip were members of Hamas. But given the ensuing political gridlock, the question being asked is whether UNRWA should dig-in or depart?
UNRWA was formed by a 1949 UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution after the war that created Israel and displaced huge numbers of Palestinians. It focused on refugees defined as “persons whose normal place of residence was Palestine during 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict”. UNRWA’s remit was “to prevent conditions of starvation and distress” and further “conditions of peace and stability”.
It was a generous time. UNRWA’s budget was $33.7 million, equating to a staggering $45 billion in current purchasing value, for 750,000 displaced out of 1.4 million Palestinians at the time. It was also an optimistic moment, as UNRWA was seen as a temporary arrangement until mediation fixed the crisis and found a permanent solution for the Palestinians.
But Palestinian displacement swelled further with the 1967 Arab-Israel War and the intifadas of 1980s and 2000s. UNRWA’s challenges multiplied in tandem because of its rigid mandate born out of an inexperienced UN that was itself traumatised after the Second World War and Holocaust.
It is unreasonable to scapegoat UNRWA for a situation not of its making. But it can be debated that the agency has allowed itself to be instrumentalised
UNRWA is renewed periodically by UNGA without sufficient changes to reflect the world that has altered so much over 75 years.
Most of the people in UNRWA’s original caseload have passed away. But four generations on, its responsibilities have expanded to care for 5.9 million descendants of the males of the original cohort. A third of them live in 58 congested camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the West Bank.
Is this “genetic transmission” of refugee status an endowment or a burden? Originally intended to ensure that the Palestinian quest for a homeland is not forgotten, it amounts to a sentence of indefinite exile because geopolitics has not been kind to these people’s legitimate aspirations.
The tragic implication of Palestinian exceptionalism is that they have fewer rights than other refugees under the remit of the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR – which is charged with finding durable solutions through voluntary refugee return or resettlement in third countries. But UNRWA is authorised only to sustain Palestinians in their limbo, however hard it works to provide them with education, health care and social safety nets.
Refugees everywhere tend to outlive their welcome. Palestinians in neighbouring states often have restricted movement and employment opportunities. Violent politicisation becomes likely with concentrated populations of disenfranchised Palestinians, their visibility feeding narratives of “states within states” and often provoking concern among host governments. Longstanding camps in Lebanon are centres of insecurity including cross-border conflict with Israel.
Under these circumstances, UNRWA provides not just basic support for Palestinians but also employment. Ninety-nine per cent of its 30,000 personnel are local. But this leads the agency to be accused of perpetuating an unacceptable situation while overreaching its remit by acting like a quasi-government.
It is unreasonable to scapegoat UNRWA for a situation not of its making. But it can be debated that the agency has allowed itself to be instrumentalised to sustain a status quo that the international community cannot remedy. In that context came October’s brutal attack in which Hamas killed and took hostage hundreds of Israelis, and the furious Israeli response that has destroyed much of Gaza, killed thousands and displaced most of its 2.2 million people. While the relative wrongs of the current war are angrily debated, UNRWA is caught in the middle.
In drawing attention to the destruction of its facilities-cum-shelters and vociferously advocating for better humanitarian access and protection, UNRWA has attracted the ire of Israel, which has withdrawn co-operation. Because the agency is the principal co-ordinator and relief provider for Gazans, this compounds their suffering.
UNRWA’s Gaza premises are alleged by Israel to hide Hamas military tunnels and paraphernalia. There is evidence for that but the extent of abuse of these premises is unclear. Some UNRWA personnel are also accused of participating in the October 7 attack. However, in a comprehensive review of the agency’s neutrality, the UN says Israel is yet to provide any proof of its allegations, raising doubts about validity of claims.
That said, the review of UNRWA neutrality mechanisms did find that the agency is inadequately managed to ensure reliable compliance with rigorous UN procedures. The agency responds that its neutral status is often violated by armed elements from both sides over which it has no control.
There is a wider complexity. The UN staff code – in the age of social media and right to free expression – places UNRWA staff in an almost-impossible position. What is humanly expected from aid workers who come from within dispossessed communities with the recognised right to self-determination as they witness the daily killing, maiming and displacing of their loved ones?
UNRWA has produced an action plan to correct organisational shortcomings. But will this be enough?
Although some of the $450 million funding withheld by donors has been resumed, the largest contributor, the US, which pledged a third of the $1.3 billion promised last year is staying away, as is the UK. Some others have imposed conditions and transferred support to other agencies such as the World Food Programme, Red Crescent and several NGOs that have courageously stepped up. It’s worth pointing out, however, that most EU countries that suspended aid have restored it, while Arab nations continue to support the agency.
Meanwhile, UN agencies including the World Health Organisation, Unicef and others are scaling-up despite the obstacles and risks faced by all humanitarians. In public, they profess solidarity with UNRWA and are keen not to undermine it by substituting or taking resources away from the beleaguered agency.
UNRWA is in the worst of all positions: suffering abuse while enduring a form of death by a thousand cuts. But it will survive because its demise can only be ordered by an UNGA that has already voted for Palestine, in the cause of which UNRWA has totemic significance.
A debate is raging within UNRWA corridors. They know that all aid givers operate at host authority discretion – in this case, Israel, as the occupying power in Palestine. That is resented, but it is the current reality. When the Gaza war ends, a new reality will emerge, to which the aid world must respond accordingly.
Meanwhile, in the here-and-now, all Gazans – and increasingly also 3.2 million West Bank residents – face incredible hardship. Relieving them of this hardship is the overriding duty of the international humanitarian system. But it is hindered from discharging this duty while a battle of wills rages between UNRWA and Israel.
The universal principles for humanity must be stood-up for – but not over the bodies of innocent people trapped in the struggle. As I realised earlier in Sudan, no individual or agency is higher than the cause they serve. Neither must they render themselves indispensable. Nor permit manipulation by polarising groups or ideologies using the Gaza carnage for geopolitical objectives.
That is the core of UNRWA’s dilemma. Do they exit the scene under Israeli pressure, even temporarily, if that improves access for others to potentially save more lives? Or do they stand firm even as their mandate shrinks and the misery of their clients accumulates?
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
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The years Ramadan fell in May
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%204-cylinder%20turbo%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20366hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E550Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESix-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh360%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
