Hundreds of aid groups and NGOs are calling for help. So far, only US$ 435 million have been raised out of US$ 2.7 billion needed to meet basic needs. The EU is providing €125 million, but, in addition to “life-saving assistance”, what is really needed is a “political solution”.
This was reported by the Egyptian minister speaking at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh. The government has raised transit taxes from 5% to 15%, From the Saudi capital Blinken accuses Iran, the main source of instability in the region. Hamas delegation in Cairo to study the truce, in the Strip people continue to die from Israeli raids. Women and children among the victims.
Today's news: Hong Kong denied access to a Reporters Without Borders representative, who was searched and then deported; At least 16% of the candidates in the first phase of the Lok Sabha vote have pending criminal cases; Taiwan earthquake death toll rises to 16, over 1100 injured; The Houthis claim an attack on four boats in the Gulf, also a 'US warship'.
Arrivals, especially from Ethiopia and Somalia, are up as peace prospects appear to improve. According to OCHA, the total number rose from about 27,000 to over 90,000 from 2021 to 2023. The country remains one of the main transit points, but Houthi attacks have kept ships away from the Red Sea, resulting in an extra 100,000 barrels of oil burnt per day.
First pastoral letter by Bishop Martinelli, who urges the faithful not to be "slaves, but sons". The faith must be transmitted "no longer by convention, but with conviction" by communicating "the reasons why one believes". The call for an 'intercultural' path that allows the different Church realities present in the Gulf to interact, to get to know each other, and to train for cooperation.
The international community's focus is now on Rafah, while Israel gets ready for a ground assault. For Jordanian scholar Amer Al Sabaileh, the Palestinian cause has given way to global jihad. Hamas is politically divided while Shia groups are beholden to Iran. Saudis could play the role of mediators, transcending the Abraham Accords.
