In Yemen's Taez, cemetery supervisor Dabwan Al Makhlaafi had to hire mechanical diggers to keep up with demand for new graves at a cemetery originally built for fallen government fighters, as coronavirus spreads through the war-torn country.
"Workers were not able to keep up with the digging, burial and finishing of the graves," said Mr Al Makhlaafi, a former member of parliament.
The burials at Taez illustrate the heavy toll that the pandemic has wrought on Yemen, which lacks adequate testing capabilities and health infrastructure.
The Saudi-backed government based in the south has reported 1,303 cases, including 348 deaths. The Houthi movement, which controls most large urban centres after ousting the government from the capital, Sanaa, in late 2014, has not provided figures since May 16 when it said there were four cases and one death.
The United Nations has said the virus is circulating undetected and infections are likely much higher. A government health ministry spokesman said it reported figures daily and "nothing was hidden". A Houthi spokesman did not respond to calls.
In the plot overlooking the green hills of southwest Yemen, Shaman Radman Ali helps carry his father in a white plastic body bag.
He died at the city's only coronavirus hospital with suspected Covid-19 infection, but no test was conducted to confirm it. The family went into debt to scrape together almost US$600 for tests and drugs at the hospital, and another $50 for the grave.
Their story is a familiar one across Yemen, including in the southern port of Aden where many hospitals, unprepared to deal with coronavirus patients, turned away people at the beginning of the outbreak.
The family of 60-year-old Abdallah Al Sharaabi were fearful when his fever spiked but could not afford the $50 a day at a private hospital.
When his condition worsened, a nearby government hospital refused to admit him and told them to go the dedicated Covid-19 centre 20 kilometres outside Aden run by medical charity Doctors without Borders (MSF).
"I had to carry him home alone because nobody would help me for fear of infection," his wife Umm Muhammad said.
The family hesitated about taking him to the coronavirus hospital which had seen so many fatalities, and Al Sharaabi died in the two-room house he shares with his wife and nine children.
His 16-year-old son Mohammed quit school to take on his father's job making deliveries on a small truck.
"Our situation is difficult. Some charitable societies are helping people in our neighbourhood but it is not enough. I need to work now," he said.
Since Al Sharaabi died in May, two more coronavirus centres opened in Aden and the MSF hospital said its patient numbers are starting to fall.
But they worry about the situation in harder to reach areas.
Bad roads, frontlines and fighting makes it hard for many to reach help and to get a clear picture of the outbreak, MSF representative Julienne Vergez said.
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
Spec%20sheet
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
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
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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The biog
Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza
Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby
Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer
Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
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