European countries were urged on Friday not to let the war in Ukraine limit their efforts in tackling other humanitarian crises around the world exacerbated by the fallout from Russia’s invasion.
Filippo Grandi, the head of UN refugee agency, said fragile situations in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia were being worsened by food shortages, price increases and energy problems linked to the Ukraine conflict.
He said these problems could add to the swelling numbers of the world’s displaced people, which have already sharply increased because of the war in Ukraine, sending millions of people into neighbouring countries.
There were an estimated 84 million displaced people in the world at the end of last year and the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the figure was approaching a “red line” of 100 million.
“We’re not only dealing with the crisis in Europe, enormous as it might be,” Mr Grandi said, speaking alongside Mr Borrell at a meeting of EU foreign and development ministers in Brussels.
“I fully appreciate that there are heightened costs for European countries to deal with both the refugee crisis but also, going forward – let’s hope soon – the reconstruction of Ukraine. This will be a massive undertaking.
“But if we do that, but at the same time we weaken the response in other places, it will backfire. Then we will have higher costs in other places to cover.”
Sweden and Norway have announced cuts in overseas development aid to finance support for refugees. The UN this week urged Norway to rethink the proposal.
Humanitarian agencies are concerned about food insecurity arising from the war between two of the world’s main agricultural exporters, with Ukraine blaming Russia for blocking shipments from its harbours.
Jens Laerke, a spokesman for UN humanitarian agency OCHA, said on Friday that the food situation had reached “alarming levels” in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger and brought the worst insecurity in eight years.
About 18 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa face potential food shortages in the next three months, he said. The World Food Programme separately said it was rationing supplies to refugees and displaced people.
Rations in Burkina Faso are at 75 per cent in the hardest areas to reach for humanitarian workers and 50 per cent in some other places, the WFP said.
Mr Borrell said Europe’s efforts to provide medical equipment during the past two years of the coronavirus crisis were giving way to pledges of food assistance.
He said: “After the mask diplomacy … and then vaccine diplomacy, now we are entering a period of food diplomacy."
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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RESULTS
Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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INFO
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Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
