"I wasn't able to save anything except this baby." With devastating simplicity, 30-year-old mother of three Chipo Dhliwayo summed up the horror of the worst weather-related disaster to hit the southern hemisphere. Like millions of others caught in the path of Cyclone Idai, she fled her home, clutching her six-month-old son as rocks and mud rained down and buried her two daughters. The cyclone has left an unprecedented trail of death and destruction in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, impacting the lives of 2.6 million people and wreaking havoc in three of the poorest countries in the world. More than 1,000 people are thought to have died in the storm and subsequent floods.
Large swathes of Mozambique have been flattened and cut off by the freak weather, leaving half a million residents of the port city of Beira stranded and rendering access extremely difficult for aid workers. Rescue efforts have been hampered as 90 per cent of the city's infrastructure has been destroyed. With roads and bridges swept away, power and communications cut off, houses destroyed and residents forced to climb rooftops and trees for shelter, the death toll is only likely to climb. Rescuers face a Hobson's choice of deciding who to save, with dangers everywhere. As one aid worker said poignantly: "Sometimes we can only save two out of five."
As The National learned while reporting from Mozambique this week, the biggest problem is access The aftermath calls for a concerted, co-ordinated effort from the international community to prevent survivors of the cyclone dying from starvation or poor sanitation. The next few hours and days are critical in responding with emergency aid and food supplies. The UAE was one of the first countries on the ground, sending Dh18.3 million in aid and dispatching expert teams. Britain and the European Union have also pledged Dh38.2 million and Dh14.3 million while the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated Dh73 million to help those most affected. Beyond such efforts, urgently needed to save as many lives as possible, there will need to be a long-term commitment globally to help rebuild the devastated countries and restore some kind of normality. A humanitarian crisis of this scale will not be resolved in mere weeks but the key will be to prevent more tragedy than Cyclone Idai has already wreaked.
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 65
9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 48
10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 34
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
