Sudan refugees bring off-season tourism to Egypt’s Aswan

Sudan refugees bring off-season tourism to Egypt’s Aswan
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Sudanese women who fled the war in their country share a meal on the banks of the Nile river in the Egyptian city of Aswan, on September 8, 2023. (Ashraf Shazly/AFP)
Sudan refugees bring off-season tourism to Egypt’s Aswan
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Sudan refugees bring off-season tourism to Egypt’s Aswan
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Sudanese who fled the war in their country cool off on the banks of the Nile river in the Egyptian city of Aswan, on September 8, 2023. (Ashraf Shazly/AFP)
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Updated 15 September 2023
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Sudan refugees bring off-season tourism to Egypt’s Aswan

Sudan refugees bring off-season tourism to Egypt’s Aswan
  • Around 310,000 people have crossed from Sudan into Egypt since war broke out on April 15
  • Sudanese refugees arrived just as Aswan business owners were winding down for the low season 

ASWAN, Egypt: Thousands fleeing war in Sudan have taken refuge in the Egyptian city of Aswan on the Nile, where families are helping keep the tourism industry afloat far from the horrors they left behind.
“We finally made it to Aswan,” said Hisham Ali, 54, who reached Egypt after an odyssey that took his family south of the fighting in Khartoum, before heading over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) north again to the Egyptian border.
Thousands of people have been stuck there since Egypt tightened its visa rules in July.
“Aswan is beautiful, its people are kind,” the former government employee told AFP from a rest house in the popular holiday destination.
During the winter months, the city fills with Egyptian and international travelers — drawn by the abundance of Pharaonic sites, views of the Nile River and warm weather.
When Sudanese families began arriving in April, the city’s many boat captains and business owners were winding down for the low season in the summer heat.
They did not expect an influx of refugees, or the much-needed business they have brought to Egypt’s struggling economy.
“I’ve taken my family for a fun day out, I want them as much as they can to forget the days of war and bombs and air strikes and gun shots,” Ali said, as the sound of children playing rang out around him.
Around 310,000 people have crossed from Sudan into Egypt since war broke out on April 15 between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
“We fled Khartoum three months ago,” said Zeinab Ibrahim, 30, after two months of sheltering from constant air strikes, artillery fire and street battles.
“I was pregnant and there were no hospitals left where I could give birth,” she told AFP of the situation in Sudan, where 80 percent of hospitals are out of service, according to the United Nations.
After crossing the Egyptian border, many continued the journey north to the capital Cairo, while others like Ali and Ibrahim stayed in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost major city and one of its most popular tourist destinations.

In the middle of an early September heatwave, when many boat captains would have laid anchor in past years, their flat-bottomed vessels weaved through Nile islands instead, blasting music while daring teenagers dove into the water from the upper decks.
Families cooled off from the sweltering heat on a sandy bank where tour guides told visitors to go for a dip in the river between sips of Nubian coffee.
“I’ve been doing this for five years,” said Mahmoud Al-Aswany, 19, perched on the deck of his boat.
“Since our Sudanese brothers came from the war, work has started to get better and there’s been more work in tourism.”
Egypt is currently going through its worst-ever economic crisis, which has devastated purchasing power across the country.
Inflation hit a record high of 39.7 percent in August, and the pound has lost half its value against the US dollar since early last year.
The response to the influx of Sudanese refugees has been mixed. In Cairo, those fleeing the war have complained of housing discrimination, soaring rent prices and racism.
In Aswan, where local Nubian communities have strong historical links across the border, early arrivals were met by volunteers offering hot meals and warm messages of welcome at bus and train stations.
But many arrive from arduous journeys in dire need, only to find limited humanitarian operations. Cairo does not operate refugee camps and insists new arrivals are instead given the right to work and move freely.
Those trying for some reprieve in the Aswan sun are among a million people who have fled across borders, in addition to four million who have been internally displaced within Sudan, according to the United Nations.
The UN expects these numbers to rise further, as the violence shows no signs of abating.
By September, the war had killed at least 7,500 people, according to a conservative estimate from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.
 


Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 - Tasnim news agency

Iran's police forces walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. (REUTERS)
Iran's police forces walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. (REUTERS)
Updated 25 September 2023
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Iran says it defused 30 bombs in Tehran, detained 28 - Tasnim news agency

Iran's police forces walk on a street in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. (REUTERS)
  • More recently, Daesh claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia shrine last October, where 15 people were killed in the southwestern city of Shiraz

DUBAI: Authorities in Iran have neutralised 30 bombs meant to go off simultaneously in Tehran and detained 28 terrorists linked to Daesh, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday, citing the intelligence ministry.
"Some of the members are of Daesh and the perpetrators have a history of being affiliated with Takfiri groups in Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Kurdistan region of Iraq," Iran's intelligence ministry added in a statement.
The militant group has claimed several attacks in Iran, including deadly twin bombings in 2017 that targeted Iran's parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
More recently, Daesh claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shia shrine last October, where 15 people were killed in the southwestern city of Shiraz.

 

 


US allocates $73m to UNRWA amid funding crisis

Palestinians carry bags of flour received as aid to poor families, at the UNRWA distribution center, in the Rafah refugee camp.
Palestinians carry bags of flour received as aid to poor families, at the UNRWA distribution center, in the Rafah refugee camp.
Updated 24 September 2023
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US allocates $73m to UNRWA amid funding crisis

Palestinians carry bags of flour received as aid to poor families, at the UNRWA distribution center, in the Rafah refugee camp.
  • UNRWA requires between $170 and $190 million just to keep its services running until the end of the year

LONDON: US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced an additional $73 million in funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, Jordan Press Agency reported on Sunday. 

The ambassador said that the funding would help supply food to needy families, provide healthcare for children and pregnant women, assist students in furthering their education, and support people affected by the conflict through mental health services.

It will also provide emergency humanitarian assistance to residents of Jenin and Ain Al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camps, both of which have suffered from recent violence. 

Earlier on Thursday, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said the funding crisis for Palestinian refugees in Jordan and other host countries has created an “absolutely unbearable” situation that could soon approach a tipping point. 

Lazzarini said that the agency required between $170 and $190 million just to keep its activities in Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and elsewhere running until the end of the year. 

Jordan’s King Abdullah II told the UNGA in New York on Tuesday that the world must not abandon Palestinian refugees to the forces of despair. 

“In Jordan, where refugees make up over a third of our 11 million population, cuts have already thrown the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees into uncertainty. The impact of such humanitarian shortfalls is never limited to a country or region,” the king said.

Despite several UN member states pledging Thursday to boost their contributions to UNRWA, the agency still only has the means to provide services until October.


Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work

Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work
Updated 24 September 2023
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Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work

Kuwait, China sign 7 agreements for major construction work
  • Projects include completion of port, renewable energy, low-carbon recycling, water treatment schemes

LONDON: Kuwait and China have signed seven memorandums of understanding on large-scale construction projects, Kuwait News Agency reported on Sunday.

The agreements were signed during Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s visit to Hangzhou at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games.

It was the crown prince’s second meeting with Xi since the Gulf Cooperation Council-China Summit for Cooperation and Development in December in Saudi Arabia.

Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister Saad Al-Barrak described the visit as “very important,” with the government working to update its 2035 vision.

The first agreement is for completion of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port.

“Around 50 percent of the first phase of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port is complete, and we seek to finalize the first phase in order to launch and operate the port as swiftly as possible,” Al-Barrak said.

“China excels in construction and other domains like management and operation of the port, so we have signed the MoU and will continue the talks on execution.”

Other agreements were signed for projects including renewable energy, creation of a low-carbon recycling green system, water treatment station infrastructure, and economic and free zones.

Jassem Al-Ostad, Kuwait’s minister of electricity, water and renewable energy, said the crown prince gave instructions to build renewable energy stations in order to supply clean and affordable energy, while also honoring Kuwait’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Another MoU outlines the development of advanced housing cities in Kuwait as part of the government plans to offer housing care for citizens.

During the visit, Sheikh Mishal and Xi discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.

Xi said that Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish relations with Beijing in 1971, and that the Kuwait Fund was instrumental in providing loans to China in the 1980s.

The crown prince also met with Huawei executives to strengthen Kuwait’s partnership with the company in information technology and communication services.


UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly

UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly
Updated 24 September 2023
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UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly

UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly
  • Discussions focused on partnerships in humanitarian aid, renewable energy, climate action

LONDON: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Emirates News Agency reported.

Discussions focused on UAE-UN partnerships in a variety of sectors, including humanitarian aid, renewable energy, climate action and sustainable development.

Sheikh Abdullah and Guterres reviewed the outcomes of the UAE’s membership of the UN Security Council from 2022 to 2023, as well as its contributions to international peace and security, and humanitarian response operations and initiatives aimed at tackling global challenges.

The meeting discussed the UAE’s preparations for hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in November in Dubai.

Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE recognized the need to expedite the global response to climate change to achieve peace and security, and that the country looked forward to leveraging climate challenges into opportunities that drove sustainable and economic development.

The two officials also addressed developments in the Middle East, exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as challenges to international peace and security.

Guterres thanked the UAE for its strengthened engagement with the UN and its hosting of COP28.

The meeting was attended by several UAE officials, including Reem bint Ibrahim Al-Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, permanent representative to the UN, Mohamed Issa Abu Shehab, deputy permanent representative to the UN, and Majid Al Suwaidi, special representative of COP28.

 


All 120 workers rescued after Nile cruise ship accident in Egypt

Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
Updated 24 September 2023
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All 120 workers rescued after Nile cruise ship accident in Egypt

Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
  • There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor Governorate in the south of Egypt

CAIRO: All 120 workers on board a Nile cruise ship that partially sank after it collided with a bridge have been rescued. 

The collision caused a hole in the lower right side of the Tivoli Nile ship in Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt, officials said.

There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor Governorate in the south of Egypt.

The Public Prosecution is investigating the incident.

SPEEDREAD

• There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor governorate in the south of Egypt. The Public Prosecution is investigating the incident.

• Authorities said they were working with the company that owns the floating hotel, while a top official at the ministry said the ship’s tourism operating license expired last May and had not been renewed.

Authorities said they were working with the company that owns the floating hotel, while Mohammed Amer, head of the Department of Hotel Establishments, Shops, and Tourist Activities at the ministry, said the ship’s tourism operating license expired last May and had not been renewed.

It was recently at a workshop in Helwan, south of Cairo, for necessary repairs and maintenance work to allow it to operate during the upcoming winter season, starting next month.

Amer said that, after completing all maintenance work, the management of the vessel obtained a passage permit from Cairo to Luxor for the necessary inspections by Ministry of Tourism officials to renew its license in preparation for the start of October.

The River Transport Authority said that it granted a temporary permit for the ship to leave the repair shop to its own berth on Aug. 23 until it obtained the rest of the necessary licenses from the other relevant authorities.