The war in Yemen is turning the impoverished country into an "unviable state" that will be almost beyond repair, a top UN official warned ahead of a donor conference aimed at averting a famine.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have gone hungry in the six-year conflict, which began after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels stormed the capital, in what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
Schools, factories, hospitals and businesses have been destroyed or closed, depriving hundreds of thousands of their livelihoods.
Many children have been denied an education and some have been recruited by the rebels to fight.
With so much damage to its infrastructure, Yemen is now witnessing "the worst development crisis in the world", Auke Lootsma, the UN Development Programme's country director, told AFP.
"Yemen has lost more than two decades of development progress and is definitely one of the poorest, if not the poorest country in the world at the moment, given the negative development indicators that we see," Mr Lootsma said on Sunday.
"If you continue like this, Yemen as a country will be very difficult to rebuild.
"If more assets get destroyed and people become poorer and poorer, then it will become almost like an unviable state."
The war between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have seized much of the north, and forces led by Saudi Arabia trying to restore the internationally recognised government has devastated the country.
The Houthis have launched an assault on Marib province, the last government-held territory in the north, to the condemnation of much of the international community.
"The war has to stop now. Yemenis have suffered enough," said Mr Lootsma, urging donors to rapidly provide financial aid at Monday's conference hosted by the UN, Switzerland and Sweden.
The country has been relying on aid to feed its population of 29 million.
But with funding dropping sharply amid the coronavirus-induced global recession, UN-supported programmes have closed their doors, heaping more hardship on ordinary people.
On Monday, the UN hopes to raise $3.85 billion from donor nations.
Last year it received just $1.9 billion, about half of what was required.
"The international community should rally around Yemen and come forward with a great number of pledges that will help us to prevent a widespread famine," Mr Lootsma said.
The UN official said that in 2020, the UNDP had to prioritise its programmes and scale down the number of people who normally benefit.
"It is important to understand that the famine in Yemen is very much an income famine, so it's not necessarily a situation whereby food is not available," he said.
"But Yemenis are not really able to afford a minimum food basket or a minimum food supply in the household that will give them enough nutrition to survive the day."
The latest UN data says more than 16 million Yemenis will face hunger this year, and nearly 50,000 are already starving in famine-like conditions.
"The UN cannot feed everyone in Yemen. Therefore, we also must make sure that people continue to have livelihoods," Mr Lootsma said.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
CREW
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
