SHARJAH // Thousands of Syrian refugees in Iraq will have a roof over their head this winter thanks fo a Dh7.3 million donation by the Big Heart Campaign.
The aid will help more than 600 families in northern Iraq move out of the single-tent accommodation they share with other families.
The donation was presented by the campaign’s patron, Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, who has been named an eminent advocate for refugee children by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, according to a UNHCR media release.
More than 60,000 Syrian refugees have crossed into Iraq in the past two months, according to UN figures, pushing the total number to more than 220,000. They live in overcrowded camps with little access to food, water and health care.
“The overcrowding makes diseases spread like wildfire from one family member to another, and then from one tent to another until we have a camp-wide epidemic,” said a doctor who helps treat refugees at the camps.
“Children’s weaker immune systems, added to their poor nutrition, leaves them defenceless. Our most urgent need is warmer winter housing rather than tents. Kerosene would not only give us warmth but also dry the moisture and kill bacteria, thus reducing cases of diarrhoea.”
The UNHCR described the Big Heart Campaign’s as a lifesaver.
“This will have a direct impact on the quality of life for Syrians in Iraq,” said Claire Bourgeois, the UNHCR’s representative in Iraq.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
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Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
