The UN's health agency has called for more access routes into Gaza and urged that thousands of people in great need of medical care be allowed to leave the Palestinian territory.
More than 68,000 Gazans have been killed and 170,000 wounded since Israel began military operations in the enclave following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage.
A ceasefire, brokered by American, Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators, was reached this month. While it is largely holding, it has been strained by a flare-up of violence in Gaza, disputes over the exchange of dead Israelis and Palestinians, and mutual distrust between Israel and Hamas.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has supported the medical evacuation of nearly 7,800 patients from the Gaza Strip since the war began – and estimates that about 15,000 people currently require treatment abroad.
“Opening up all the crossings is critical and even more so to get diverse food, shelter and all shelter-related items with the winter approaching,” the WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories Rik Peeperkorn said on Friday, in a briefing to reporters from Geneva.
Only the Karam Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings in the southern half of the strip are currently open. Rafah, a vital passenger crossing bordering Egypt, remains closed. Now that the ceasefire is in place, aid should be allowed to flow in freely, but the World Food Programme has said that this is not yet happening.
“The most important one would be the reopening of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem referral hospitals,” Mr Peeperkorn said. Reopening this route would be a “game changer”, he added.
He said limiting direct access to the north of the strip, where the UN declared a famine in August, makes it difficult to deliver life-saving supplies to health facilities at the scale required.
Gaza only has a total of about 2,100 inpatient beds for a population of around 2.2 million, he said, emphasising the need to expand hospital capacity. Several major health facilities, including Kamal Adwan, Al Awda, Indonesian and Gaza European hospitals, are beyond the “yellow line” where Israeli forces are positioned and have shot Palestinians attempting to cross the ill-marked boundary.
This makes the facilities “inaccessible for people and non-functional”, Mr Peeperkorn said. With more than 170,000 people injured over the last two years, many critical patients need access to treatment abroad, including 4,000 children who need medical evacuation, he added.
On Thursday, the WHO carried out the first medical evacuation since the ceasefire, of 41 patients and 145 companions, to various countries. The aim is to increase these to 50 patients per day plus companions.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, a Civil-Military Co-ordination Centre opened by US Central Command (Centcom) in southern Israel on October 17 hosted meetings between the UN and Israeli authorities.
Mr Peeperkorn said he was “hopeful” and the mechanism set to be put in place for aid entry should not only ensure assistance is brought in rapidly but also help in bringing in “massive supplies for recovery and reconstruction”.
He said work is being done towards shortening delays for aid heading into Gaza – an issue that has been reported as a deterrent against bringing in large amounts.
UN officials had previously told The National that the list of approved items keeps changing and vital supplies such as tents and medical kits are often turned away from the border under the pretext of being “dual-use”.
At least nine in 10 Palestinians in Gaza have been repeatedly displaced over the past two years, and 80 per cent of Gaza had been destroyed – leaving a majority of people homeless and in need of shelter.
“We made a consolidated list of essential medicines and medical supplies … priority items which are used in every hospital around the world,” said Mr Peeperkorn. He is hoping for a “completely different approach” towards the so-called dual-use issue.
“We need CAT scans in, we need spare parts in, we need MRIs in, we need X-rays in, we need ultrasounds in,” he said. All of these items had previously been delayed or blocked from entry, the WHO official added, but he hoped this would change in the future.
“We all know that this will be a long and winding road, with a lot of setbacks and obstructions, but we can only be hopeful that this ceasefire will hold, that we go to peace and we get to a proper political solution,” said Mr Peeperkorn.
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More from UAE Human Development Report:
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
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The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
