Afghans have thanked the UAE for the assistance it provided following a devastating earthquake that hit parts of their country's mountainous east.
A 6.0 magnitude quake struck on the night of August 31 and it was followed by powerful aftershocks with the death toll at more than 2,200 with many more injured.
The UN has estimated up to 500,000 people could be affected and many have lost their homes and livelihoods.
The UAE has sent aid ships and dispatched rescue teams to the country to help with the recovery.
Mawlawi Abdul Ghafoor, an official in charge of food supplies in the affected region, said the UAE’s efforts at mitigating the impact of the crisis reflected true Islamic brotherhood, state news agency Wam reported on Saturday.
Thanking the UAE, he added that the continuing tremors were causing even the few homes still standing to collapse.
“We are in need of everything from water to blankets," Mr Abdul Ghafoor said.
Alam Gul, a resident of Chawkay district, said the earthquake felt "like the day of judgement" had arrived.
"We don’t have exact information about the number of dead," he said. "People are still being rescued and bodies recovered. People have nothing left, neither shelter, nor food,” he said.
The UN has said the humanitarian situation could worsen without further support from the international community as winter approaches.
Abdul Basir Sabat, also from Chawkay district, said his village alone had lost 103 people.
“I don't even have the strength to speak — we have been through a terrible time. All the houses have been destroyed [and] people are sleeping outside. People are moving to open fields to protect themselves and are in urgent need of tents and other essentials."
Gul Rahim, a resident of Dareh Diwagul, said that 80 people had died in his village. “The UAE has sent us aid materials. We know more is on the way. Our message to the world is that people are going through great hardship. They have no homes nor other essentials of life. They need help,” he added.
A man who lost nine members of his family to the disaster said that tents were not enough for shelter as winter was approaching. “Our houses have collapsed. Everything we had is destroyed. If at least one room could be arranged for us to live in, it would help,” he said.
The UAE has responded swiftly to the disaster. On Thursday, an aid ship set sail carrying 2,500 tonnes of food, shelter and medical equipment. Several plane loads of supplies have also been dispatched to the country.
Dr Shafiullah Ahmadzai, deputy chief of public health in Kunar Province, expressed his appreciation to the UAE for its humanitarian support.
“We hope that the UAE will continue to provide further assistance," he said. "Our country is poor and our people are suffering. The impact of the earthquakes remains catastrophic and people are in increasing and urgent need of various forms of aid so they can return to a better and more normal life.”
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
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The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
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Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
