A billion people could be infected with Covid-19 and up to 3.2 million die in 34 countries most affected by war and poverty, an international aid agency said on Tuesday.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) said crowded refugee camps in Syria, Greece and Bangladesh were among the most threatened places as the infection spreads around the world.
The camps are up to 8.5 times more densely populated than the Diamond Princess cruise ship where transmission was up to four times greater than in Wuhan, the source of the coronavirus pandemic, and 13 people died.
Overcrowding at the refugee camps, compounded by poor sanitary conditions and rudimentary health facilities, are likely to see virus reproduction rates far higher than in other countries, the charity said. Aid workers have also seen greater threats and harassment since coronavirus took hold.
“Covid-19 has already overwhelmed health systems in high-income countries. As it spreads to fragile and crisis affected countries, it threatens even greater devastation,” said the US-based charity.
“There is a small window left to mount a robust response while Covid-19 is still in the early stages of spreading to these settings.”
The alarming potential toll in the 34 countries, ranging from 1.7m to 3.2m deaths, was based on numbers from the World Health Organisation and modellers at Imperial College, London.
The countries most at risk include Yemen, facing the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, Syria, Afghanistan, Jordan and Iraq.
The countries lack the financial resources to fund stay-at-home campaigns and the infrastructure and jobs that would allow people to work in isolation from home, said the IRC.
Trading barriers have already slowed the delivery for protective equipment, halted vaccination campaigns and disrupted supplies for malnourished children. Prices for surgical masks have increased six-fold.
The charity called on donors to ensure the most in need get adequate food, medical supplies, money and improved infrastructure to allow for extra handwashing and isolation for affected cases.
David Miliband, chief executive of IRC and former UK foreign minister, said: “These numbers should serve as a wake-up call: the full, devastating and disproportionate weight of this pandemic has yet to be felt in the world’s most fragile and war-torn countries.”
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
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
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Publisher: Activision
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Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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