Community gets involved in distributing free iftars across UAE this Ramadan

Y Sudhir Kumar Shetty, CEO (Global Operations) of UAE Exchange, said: “This contribution is an endorsement of the great efforts by WFP to fight hunger in Africa and a humble step from our side. As a brand which mainly serves the ‘bottom-of-the-pyramid’ segment of society, we understand what scarcity of food means to the poor. We are more than glad to support WFP for the cause.” Ashraf Hamouda, Regional Head of Private Partnerships & Business Development, WFP, said: “Daily school meals make a huge difference for many children in Africa who may not have anything else to eat. With UAE Exchange’s support, more children will have the opportunity to go to school, which means a better future for them, their families and their communities.”

No country for Syria's IDPs

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that some 4.5 million Syrians have been displaced within Syria's borders as the country's internecine conflict grinds on, exacting its brutal toll. In Idlib province alone, 300,000 IDPs struggle to survive. (..) Fuel and food prices prices are soaring with wheat production down, silos destroyed and farmers fleeing. Fears continue to mount that Syria's internally displaced will go hungry with aid agencies unable to reach many in need because of security risks. "The Syrian crisis has resulted in heightened vulnerability, massive movements of the population inside the country and a substantial setback in living conditions," the UN Food and Agriculture and World Food Programme said in a joint report earlier this month.

UN humanitarian chief calls for access to civilians trapped by fighting in South Sudan

The top UN humanitarian official on Wednesday appealed for access to all those in need in the strife-torn region of South Sudan, where humanitarian situation has deteriorated due to the clashes. "I am alarmed by the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Pibor County in Jonglei," where some 100,000 civilians have been cut off from life-saving aid due to clashes, the Under-Secretary- General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, said in a statement. Fighting between state and non-state armed actors, and the recent resurgence of inter-communal clashes are threatening the lives of ordinary people and have reduced the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide urgently needed help.

Syria Weighs Its Tactics as Pillars of Its Economy Continue to Crumble

Last week’s currency crash deepened a steady decline that has helped send prices soaring even for basic foodstuffs and reduced most Syrians’ buying power to a fraction of prewar levels, making it hard even for once-well-off families to afford meat and fish.