Since September, Sudan has suffered devastating floods that have jeopardised livelihoods in a nation struggling with inflation, economic crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. The floods have killed more than 100 Sudanese and damaged 166,000 homes.
For the 3 million people who comprise the country’s farming community, the floods spell catastrophe. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, nearly a third of cultivated land has been affected. This exacerbates the soaring inflation of the past 18 months, in which the price of food and basic necessities have risen dramatically.
More than half of all young Sudanese now wish to leave the country altogether, according to the recently released 2020 Arab Youth Survey.
The persistent economic hardship has cast a pall over Sudan’s many recent successes. In December 2018, the Sudanese rose up against the government of Omar Al Bashir, who was deposed in April 2019. A power-sharing deal between the military and the civilian protest movement successfully installed a Sovereignty Council while the country prepares for elections in 2022.
Sudan is now in a much stronger position to lobby for its removal from the US' list of state sponsors of terrorism. Khartoum was added to the list in 1993 because the Al Bashir regime harboured extremists. Sanctions have prevented Sudan from accessing the global economy and obtaining loans and debt relief. In the context of inflation and flooding, the burden is even heavier.
But in Khartoum today, reformists are at the helm. The Sudanese government no longer welcomes nor tolerates extremists. Women now have more rights; the Sudanese people enjoy more freedoms and a peace agreement has been signed between the government and separatist factions in the country’s West and South. Last month, Sudan agreed to enact reforms to stabilise its economy as part of a one-year programme monitored by the International Monetary Fund. As a result, the country could have access to much-needed economic relief.
A number of Arab states have stood by Khartoum to help it achieve a successful political transition. Since last April, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have pledged $3 billion to support Sudan’s ailing economy and its people. In the past month, the UAE has also stepped up efforts to help victims of the floods.
The floods have killed more than 100 Sudanese and damaged 166,000 homes
Two aircraft carrying 100 tonnes of aid were sent to Sudan from the Emirates this week, in addition to another 100 tonnes of relief sent last month from Dubai Humanitarian City, including medical equipment and food. Saudi Arabia has sent more than 200 tonnes of aid, including food supplies and building materials since September. Egypt has also come to the aid of its neighbour to the south. Cairo has sent several aircraft carrying humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the floods in Sudan.
Maintaining a steady course in these efforts is all the more vital today, as the floods are expected to have long-lasting consequences.
The Sudanese have stood up to injustice and refused extremism and corruption. They are a source of inspiration to the entire region and deserve greater support to rebuild homes, restore damaged crops and save livelihoods.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
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SPECS
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Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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