“It’s unthinkable,” says Sofia Widmann, shaking her head in disbelief. “This is Ukraine we’re talking about, it’s Kyiv.”
For the last week, she hasn’t slept much.
Born and brought up in the Ukrainian capital, Widmann has been living in Austria for eight years with her husband Michael and their young daughter. Last week, as Russian troops attacked her homeland, she received a message from a close friend, Katya, whom she has known since university.
Like so many other Ukrainians, Katya had fled the country, driving with her two children over the border in a bid to reach Austria. Her husband had been forced to stay behind after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy passed an order that military-aged men were no longer allowed to leave Ukraine, just as the family approached the border.
Texting Widmann, Katya wrote: "Misha could not could not leave, there’s just three of us now."
“She called me when she had been driving for 72 hours. She was tired and I told her I'm not sure that you will be able to make it to Austria, but she said no, I have to, I have to,” says Widmman.
'Her parents were in a cellar, and she suddenly had a hotel room'
At a certain point, Katya realised that it would be safer if she could stop and rest in Budapest, about 250 kilometres closer to Ukraine than Vienna. But with no friends or family in Hungary, and having fled with next to nothing, she had no place to stay.
“My husband reached out to a friend of our family, Norbert Lessing at Hilton in Austria, and he contacted a colleague in Budapest, and suddenly Katya had a hotel to stay in overnight,” says Widmann.
“She was so shocked. Knowing that her own parents were staying in a cellar under a house in Kyiv, and she had a nice hotel room.”
As the day unfolded, Widmann received more and more reports of people fleeing Ukraine — family, friends, neighbours. Some headed for Poland, others for Romania and others still for Slovakia, but almost all of them left in a hurry, often in nothing but their pyjamas.
“Michael had the idea of bringing together hotel groups from around the world and creating a platform that could automatically bring together those people in need and any available hotel rooms, with no intermediary in between,” says Widmann.
The launch of Hospitality Helps
And so, Hospitality-Helps.org was born.
Connecting individual hotels with people fleeing the war, it operates in three languages (English, Ukrainian, Russian) and links to a booking platform created by the people at HotelSwaps.
Refugees can use it to find safe, free accommodation for a five-night period, giving those who have just arrived in a foreign country, many of them women and children travelling alone, an easy-to-use resource in their own language to help them find temporary accommodation.
It's not a long-term solution, but is designed to give people a chance to stop, get their bearings and begin to comprehend where they are and what has happened.
“When they see this, that this is actually happening, they're grateful and they're crying,” says Widmman, whose initiative has now successfully housed more than 180 people, six cats and seven dogs in emergency accommodation.
Hotels on-board and a major breakthrough
Since it launched, the response to the platform has been positive.
“Many of the hotels were already trying to launch their own individual initiatives anyway, but then realised the need for a centralised platform like this,” says Widmann.
“Marriott, with the largest inventory of hotel rooms in the world, has just committed to the platform,” Widmann's husband Michael, managing director at PKF hospitality, says.
“We were afraid, and thought we would not be able to house all of the people on the run tonight, but this changes things,” he says.
More help needed as people continue to flee Ukraine
The latest figures from the UN Refugee Agency state that more than one million Ukrainians have fled the country as a result of the Russian aggression.
Which is why Hospitality Helps is now calling for more hotels around the world to join the initiative.
“This is a crisis transcending borders, and our response should be as well. As this humanitarian crisis grows, we have to address this at an international level,” says Widmman.
And people with no hotel rooms to offer can still pledge their help. The Hospitality Helps website lists several credible initiatives supporting refugees, including Airbnb, which recently pledged to house 100,000 Ukrainians and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“I think adrenalin is helping me keep going despite having not really slept,” says Widmann.
“I know that my 82-year old grandma is in the city centre of Kyiv, and the house can be bombed at any moment. I know that a lot of my friends are leaving the country and I'm not sure if they will be able to get to safety, and I don’t know if one of my best friend’s husband will survive. But for now, I know that I can help by providing accommodation and this is kind of the mission for me now, I need to get this done.”
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
The%20specs
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Read more from Aya Iskandarani
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE FIXTURES
October 18 – 7.30pm, UAE v Oman, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 19 – 7.30pm, UAE v Ireland, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 21 – 2.10pm, UAE v Hong Kong, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 22 – 2.10pm, UAE v Jersey, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 24 – 10am, UAE v Nigeria, Abu Dhabi Cricket Oval 1
October 27 – 7.30pm, UAE v Canada, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
October 29 – 2.10pm, Playoff 1 – A2 v B3; 7.30pm, Playoff 2 – A3 v B2, at Dubai International Stadium.
October 30 – 2.10pm, Playoff 3 – A4 v Loser of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Playoff 4 – B4 v Loser of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 1 – 2.10pm, Semifinal 1 – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Semifinal 2 – A1 v Winner of Play-off 2 at Dubai International Stadium
November 2 – 2.10pm, Third place Playoff – B1 v Winner of Play-off 1; 7.30pm, Final, at Dubai International Stadium
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
