An angry red gash down her chest one day, a dark mottled bruise on her arm the next.
The pictures, sent to a mobile application that supports domestic violence survivors in Iran, show the injuries sustained by a woman after being beaten by her husband at home.
Cases such as this have increased dramatically worldwide as coronavirus lockdowns force victims of violence to stay closed in with their abusers.
In some countries, the number of women calling support services has doubled, at a time when healthcare providers and police are already under enormous strain, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said this month.
Toranj is a mobile app with services include emergency calling, legal support advice, educational resources and a database of pro-bono counselling clinics in Iran.
It has added 847 new users in the past month, more than four times the 210 added in January and February combined.
Requests for help over social media and the phone have also increased since the pandemic took hold.
Many say that lockdown measures in Iran have exacerbated abusive situations.
"They are complaining that spending more time with their abuser makes the situation harder for them," Toranj's project manager, Shadi Sharifi. told The National.
Job losses caused by the pandemic are another reason many are spending more time with abusive partners or family members.
“They are becoming more financially dependent,” Ms Sharifi said.
Toran enables users to send alerts to selected contacts when they feel under threat. It has been downloaded more than 65,000 times.
But providing support in the current environment is challenging, Ms Sharifi said.
“Reaching victims is harder than before for shelters and our network team in Iran," she said.
"We stopped our workshop sessions and household visits, which were very practical ways for us to help victims.”
There has been a surge in domestic violence reports across the region since the coronavirus lockdowns began.
Rights groups have warned that the nature of the violence has also become more severe, pushing back hard-won gains in protection for victims.
“With the cases that are turning up at the shelters right now, we’re seeing a violence more severe than before the financial crisis and even during the revolution,” Ghida Anani, founder and director of women's shelter operator Abaad in Lebanon, told Reuters
This includes more death threats.
Calls to helplines in Lebanon have doubled compared to the same month last year, with domestic violence cases up by about 20 per cent.
In Jordan, the video of a victim describing her abuse under lockdown went viral and footage of a woman screaming in pain after being set on fire, allegedly by her husband, in Iraq has caused uproar.
The UN has appealed to governments to make women's safety a priority in their pandemic response plans, and push back against the "horrifying surge" in violence worldwide.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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
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
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
