The world’s largest humanitarian crisis in Yemen is entering its seventh year, with the human and economic costs of the continuing conflict and the Covid-19 pandemic crippling our country.
Access to reliable electricity is just one of many necessities people in Yemen are living without.
World Bank assessments show no public electricity is available in a handful of our cities, and almost none in our largest city Sanaa, home to two million people.
What international headlines have missed, however, is the story of how sheer necessity and ingenuity have given rise to a local solar power industry.
While Yemen’s conflict raged, businesses started importing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems that are now much cheaper than previously.
As demand rose, the number of local importers and small retailers grew to the point where it is common to see solar panels across city roofs.
There are incredible cases of entrepreneurs, such as the 10 women who built and now run their own solar micro-grid business in the Abs district, bringing light and hope to their communities.
Phone surveys found in 2019 that an average of 75 per cent of the country’s households used solar-powered systems as a primary source of electricity.
While the rise of this solar industry is a bright spot during our country’s crisis, its scale and growth are not enough to bring reliable and sufficient electricity access to the millions of households and thousands of crucial facilities such as hospitals and schools, which are in dire need of power.
The quality of solar PV systems on the market and lack of funds and loan guarantees are immense challenges.
Now imagine if millions in public and private investment were injected into this nascent clean energy industry. It would power thousands more homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.
While some international development organisations including the EU, UN and World Bank are trying to expand electricity access, the projects are few.
In fact, donor commitments for off-grid solutions, such as solar mini-grids, in countries with the largest energy access gaps, of which most are fragile, is just 1.1 per cent of the total worldwide financing for electricity for developing countries.
This amounted to only $460 million globally in 2018. It is clear that rich countries have thus far failed to act to end energy poverty in fragile states.
I and fellow members of the Council on State Fragility – along with the G7+ group of 20 countries affected by conflict and fragility – are launching a global Call to Action to increase investments in clean energy in the world’s most vulnerable places.
We count among our signatories 17 current and former heads of state and global leaders, and 17 major public, private and non-profit institutions.
As the world comes together to tackle this generation’s biggest global challenges, Covid-19 and climate change, we cannot continue to leave behind fragile states.
We recognise the links between lack of energy access, vulnerability to the effects of climate change and conflict, and the role that clean energy can play in building peace and supporting development.
The time to act is now. Solar mini-grids and other green technologies are cheaper than ever, more resilient in conflict settings than large systems powered by fossil fuels, and good for the environment.
We are calling for a rapid boost in funding for clean energy access and an overhaul of the current approach to power in fragile contexts.
Donor countries should prioritise fragile states’ access to clean energy and increase aid.
Private energy companies should back clean energy investments with financing and expertise, while multilateral institutions should help them to manage the risks.
Development finance institutions, such as the International Finance Corporation, CDC Group and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector, should invest in pioneering clean energy projects, thereby attracting more mainstream investors, such as pension funds.
The International Renewable Energy Agency has a vital role to play in supporting these actions in the region.
For this concerted effort to work, the governments of countries affected by conflict and fragility need to ensure their environments are conducive to clean energy investments, including committing to transparency and rule of law.
As we can see from Yemen’s homegrown solar industry, the demand for clean energy is there, even in the world’s most challenging places.
If we act quickly, investments could transform millions of lives and help fragile countries to recover from the pandemic and its devastating economic impacts.
Amat Alsoswa is the former minister of human rights in Yemen and a member of the Council on State Fragility
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New schools in Dubai
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Honeymoonish
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Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Favourite book: ‘The Art of Learning’ by Josh Waitzkin
Favourite film: Marvel movies
Favourite parkour spot in Dubai: Residence towers in Jumeirah Beach Residence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre
Power: 325hp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh189,700
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
PFA Premier League team of 2018-19
Allison (Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
THE DRAFT
The final phase of player recruitment for the T10 League has taken place, with UAE and Indian players being drafted to each of the eight teams.
Bengal Tigers
UAE players: Chirag Suri, Mohammed Usman
Indian: Zaheer Khan
Karachians
UAE players: Ahmed Raza, Ghulam Shabber
Indian: Pravin Tambe
Kerala Kings
UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Abdul Shakoor
Indian: RS Sodhi
Maratha Arabians
UAE players: Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
Indian: S Badrinath
Northern Warriors
UAE players: Imran Haider, Rahul Bhatia
Indian: Amitoze Singh
Pakhtoons
UAE players: Hafiz Kaleem, Sheer Walli
Indian: RP Singh
Punjabi Legends
UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Sandy Singh
Indian: Praveen Kumar
Rajputs
UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed
Indian: Munaf Patel
