On Thursday, the World Food Programme said that a record 9.3 million people suffer from food insecurity in Syria, a figure that has leapt by more than two million in just six months. More than half of all its citizens risk going hungry, with little access to food supplies to sustain themselves and their families on a daily basis. This alarming development has come at a time of great economic distress and a huge health crisis for the world at large – and for war-torn Syria in particular.
Nine years of conflict have proven devastating for the Syrian people and wreaked havoc on the nation’s economy, pushing 80 per cent of the population below the poverty line, according to United Nations estimates.
In addition to long-standing hardships, a financial crisis that hit neighbouring Lebanon in November has taken a toll on its own economy, leading to the collapse of the Syrian pound and inflation. Many Syrians keep their savings in Lebanese banks, as their home country has little access to the global economy owing to international sanctions. However, Lebanon’s banking system is now reeling under an unprecedented crisis, which has been compounded by a shortage of US dollars to which the Lebanese pound is pegged.
And now, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are putting additional strain on Syrians. Measures to curb the spread of the virus have adversely affected government-held areas – as well as people’s pockets. In March, videos showing people chasing trucks that were distributing bread in Aleppo, where bakeries were closed during the lockdown, underlined the appalling living conditions of ordinary people.
This new reality is all the more shocking as Syria’s elite continues to amass riches from the country’s war economy. A few weeks ago, Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of President Bashar Al Assad and a business tycoon believed to have monopolised up to 60 per cent of the national economy, posted a plea on Facebook after the regime ordered measures against his companies. However, Mr Makhlouf was seen to be pleading for his enormous fortunes at a time when a majority of Syrians can barely afford to feed their loved ones.
This new reality is all the more shocking as Syria's elite continues to amass riches from the country's war economy
“More funds are urgently needed to save lives – we cannot let Syrian families down now,” the WFP recently tweeted. But as each country turns inward to respond to an unprecedented global health crisis and deal with its massive economic toll, there are concerns that the international community will have little time and few funds to spare for those in need in other parts of the globe.
There has been disappointingly little appetite among the world's powers to come together in the fight against coronavirus. And with international travel heavily restricted, ordinary Syrians find themselves in a precarious situation, with nowhere left to go and no one to turn to for support.
As Eid Al Fitr approaches, the people of Syria deserve to look forward to things other than more of the same hardships.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
MATCH INFO
Scotland 59 (Tries: Hastings (2), G Horne (3), Turner, Seymour, Barclay, Kinghorn, McInally; Cons: Hastings 8)
Russia 0
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
More coverage from the Future Forum
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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
Brief scores:
Toss: Northern Warriors, elected to field first
Bengal Tigers 130-1 (10 ov)
Roy 60 not out, Rutherford 47 not out
Northern Warriors 94-7 (10 ov)
Simmons 44; Yamin 4-4
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
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Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
