Syria is in danger of slipping into famine as the country’s economic collapse, and that of neighbouring Lebanon, pushes food supply systems to the brink, the United Nations has warned.
David Beasley, the head of the UN's World Food Programme, issued the wake-up call in an interview with The National.
Figures compiled from the WFP’s extensive operations in Syria indicate that food prices are the highest on record after a collapse in the Syrian pound. Prices in the WFP’s food basket increased by 16 per cent in the latest monthly tally.
Mr Beasley said that an already bleak outlook in Syria for 2020 after a decade of war was rapidly worsening.
“If Syria continues to deteriorate and the availability of cash, availability of food and supply chain disruption on a country that’s already devastated by 10 years of war, famine could very well be knocking on that door,” Mr Beasley said.
The WFP provides food assistance for four million Syrians, as well as 1.6m compatriots displaced in neighbouring countries. The Syrians with remaining savings have been hit hard by the Lebanese banking crisis. With prices spiking, the WFP is shifting resources out of programmes that provided cash to households to pay for food and is now procuring supplies directly.
“If we send cash in, they don’t have anything to buy, so we are now having to convert cash to food,” he said. “Syria is deteriorating in a pretty serious way because the Lebanese economy has collapsed as has the banking system
“Those two economies are so linked by tradition and history," he added. "That has just had a devastating impact and now we’ve got real issues of food security in Lebanon, real serious.”
Mr Beasley became ill with Covid-19 as the pandemic first swept the globe. Recovered, he now spends his time on the phone or in meetings in Congress in Washington, DC, trying to persuade governments to push his agency’s annual funding above $10 billion (Dh36.7bn) this year, a substantial bump from 2019's $8.3bn. The need for increased resources is vast with not only the coronavirus-induced global shutdown but the threat of a locust plague and the ravages of climate change.
“Everything is at stake but month by month it’s all hands on deck. It’s not Chicken Little here saying the sky is falling - it really is falling,” he said.
“I was saying before Covid that the year 2020 was going to be the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.
“Then desert locusts hit, then Covid hit and Covid has done nothing but exponentially exacerbate a crisis situation.”
Without the extra $2bn targeted, Mr Beasley’s concern is that there could be further shutdown or interruption of the global food supply systems. He is pleading with governments to keep farmers planting seeds and harvesting to ensure there is enough to eat.
The number of vulnerable countries is rising. “We’re looking at a remote possibility that 36 countries could face famine,” he said. “Over 10 countries right now that have over a million people each are already on the brink, so we are right at that line.”
The WFP oversees the logistical support for all UN agencies and so is at the heart of the body’s mobilisation in response to the pandemic.
Mr Beasley said it was a joke with some truth that his charter flights were the biggest airline network still operating at the height of the crisis. The WFP works from eight hubs around the world, including its UAE centre.
He spoke of his friendship with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, as a reliable supporter of the WFP. After a conversation between the two men early in the pandemic, the UAE provided three dedicated transport aircraft to support efforts to move supplies out of its hub, including a C17 Globemaster.
Mr Beasley greeted the C17 landing in Ghana with supplies for a field hospital that was then built a few days after the delivery.
“I said I've got to move more supplies and he didn’t blink an eye; he said you got it,” Mr Beasley recalled.
“He’s genuinely concerned that we have the access we need to help the victims.”
With more than 100 planes ready to carry 10,000 metric tonnes of supplies to those in need, Mr Beasley fears that failure to reach funding goals could interrupt his efforts. He waves a phone as he describes his constant lobbying efforts and the troubleshooting he is doing to keep borders open.
One of the harshest consequences of the lockdown is the impact on school-based meals programmes for children. At the peak of the restrictions there were 1.7bn children out of school globally.
The WFP has introduced distribution programmes in a number of countries for pupils, conscious that for many children that may be their only meal of the day.
“Where the schools are not open we are repurposing a lot of the programmes to move food rations to the schoolchildren who are not in school right now,” he added, speaking by video call from Washington.
“We are doing a lot of altering right now in a lot of different ways.”
After a 20-fold increase in the land area threatened by locusts, the agency is watching nervously where the plague will go next. “Just when you thought you had enough plagues and storms now comes the desert locusts. This is going to wreak havoc,” Mr Beasley said.
Along with the combined effects of price spikes (there was a 19 per cent increase in March in Yemen, where the WFP feeds nearly 13m people) and projected 20 per cent drop in global remittances, there is expected to be near doubling of those deemed to be in an acutely food insecure situation. “They’re not just going to bed hungry, they are literally on the brink of starvation,” he said.
WFP figures project that the number could rise to 260m from 135m. The current figure has risen from 85m just five years ago.
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
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Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
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Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
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Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
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Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
