Alarm bells sounding louder over outbreak in Turkey

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People wearing masks to help protect against the spread of coronavirus, visit a public garden. in Ankara, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. (AP)
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Updated 30 November 2020
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Alarm bells sounding louder over outbreak in Turkey

  • Opponents say the government needs to take tougher action
  • "Our health army is under a heavy burden," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter"

ANKARA: The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey has risen for the sixth day in a row and alarm bells are ringing about the capacity of intensive care units across the country to cope.

“Don’t leave your houses this week. We have to be on alert,” Ismail Cinel, the head of the Turkish Society of Intensive Care, warned on Saturday as daily death rates hit a record high for the sixth consecutive day.

Official data from the Health Ministry showed 182 fatalities and 30,103 coronavirus infections in just 24 hours, including asymptomatic ones according to the recently updated counting method used since Nov. 25. The country previously only reported symptomatic cases.

With the new tally, the country suddenly became one of the worst-affected countries on a global level while it was among the least-hit ones four days ago.

The Turkish Medical Association has warned for a long time that the government’s previous count was not displaying the true scale of the contagion, and the medical group estimates there are more than 50,000 new daily cases, far higher than the official figures.

According to Dr. Ergin Kocyildirim, a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon and an assistant professor in the department of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, the decision to change how cases were reported was not related to the World Health Organization’s joint vaccine distribution program as Turkey does not fit the requirements in terms of gross national income per capita.

“Over the summer Turkey had financial difficulties continuing the lockdown precautions so this forced the government to reopen the economy,” he told Arab News, speaking about the previous method of counting only symptomatic cases.

Kocyildirim does not believe in the transparency of sharing data during the outbreak in Turkey.

“And now Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has promised a free vaccination program. It is clear that Turkey has a management problem in terms of mass distribution projects. Mask distribution became quite a big problem followed by the start of the seasonal flu vaccination program,” he said.

In a much-anticipated move from the scientific world and opposition politicians who were claiming that decisions were taken politically, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally left the responsibility with the country’s coronavirus scientific advisory board for deciding which measures will be taken in the fight against the worsening pandemic.

“The primary responsibility about the new measures belongs to the scientific advisory board,” he said.

Turkey announced last week new measures to fight the virus, including a partial curfew on weekends from 8 p.m. to 10 a.m.

But the measures were deemed to not go far enough by medical groups concerned about the exhaustion in the Turkish health system fighting the outbreak.

“The course of the pandemic has been interesting in Turkey,” Dr. Mehmet Adin, from Yale University, told Arab News.

“Initially, like everyone else, I thought we were doing a great job. Over the course of the pandemic, particularly in the late summer, alarm bells were ringing so loud. We could have acted upon this, but I think we failed to a large extent.”

According to Adin, frontline staff have been working extraordinarily hard across the country, but this was not enough when dealing with a massive public health problem.

“Policy implementations since early summer were rather loose. The health minister was at the forefront of the war against the virus. The coronavirus task force, the so-called scientific advisory board, fell short, complaining of ‘not knowing the real case numbers,’ although I believe this should not be an excuse,” he said.

Adin said that there was no need to hear the real numbers from officials in an era of massive data flow and communication.

“I, from thousands of miles away, was able to see where it was going. I think the taskforce also fell short of catching up with evolving practices across the scientific community and literature. For example, Plaquenil, an anti-malaria drug that has long been shown to be ineffective in all forms of COVID-19, if not potentially hazardous, is still in use,” he said.

In the meantime, the number of seriously ill patients and fatalities is also increasing, while cities such as Istanbul are facing their “third peak.”

“You can change reality by your actions, but it is very hard to do so by your rhetoric,” Adin said, adding that evidence-based policy implementation was required when dealing with a pandemic.

“We know from our experience that one needs to act fast and know that every minute counts. All public measures, lockdowns and policies need to be implemented based on regional numbers and scientific evidence. Given the partial lockdowns and age-specific curfews, about which I have doubts about their effectiveness, the primary goal seems to be mitigation,” he said.

According to Adin, the Turkish government cannot put out a fire by extinguishing it partially — or fighting it at night and then letting the fire explode during the day.

“You need to fight consistently and reasonably if you want to distinguish this fire. The virus is not going anywhere, and obviously herd immunity is a utopia until there is nationwide vaccine deployment,” he said.


Palestinian detainee says he was tortured in Israeli detention center

Updated 11 sec ago
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Palestinian detainee says he was tortured in Israeli detention center

KHAN YOUNIS: Palestinian medic and ambulance worker Tarek Rabie Safi, freed from an Israeli jail as part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, said he was underfed and abused during almost a year in captivity.
Safi, a 39-year-old father of two, was released along with 368 other Palestinian detainees on Saturday, after Hamas freed three Israeli hostages from Gaza.
Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages have both complained of harsh treatment in the hands of their captors.
“I was held by the Israeli army in the Gaza ‘envelop’, which is Sde Teiman where I stayed for four months (and I was subjected to) torture of our bodies (physical torture) and hunger,” a gaunt-looking Safi said.
“(There was) no (decent) food, or drinks, or (medical) treatment. My arm was broken, and they did not treat me, and they did not get me checked by a doctor.”
The Israeli military rejected the claims in an emailed response to Reuters’ queries, saying detainees are given food and drink regularly and have access to medical care, and that if necessary, they are transferred to a medical facility with advanced capabilities.
Safi, who was detained in March last year near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, said a detainee who was in the same room with him had died as a result of his treatment.
“A young man who was with me was martyred, Mussab Haniyeh, may God have mercy on him, in the same room. This young man was strong, but due to the lack of food, lack of drinks and frequent torture, he was martyred in front of our eyes,” Safi said.
After four months in the detention center, Safi was moved to other Israeli jails until his release in Khan Younis, where he was reunited with his family in emotional scenes.
The Israeli military said it is aware of incidents of detainee deaths, but cannot comment since investigations are pending.
The Palestinian Prisoner Association, which documents Israeli detentions of Palestinians, said that Israel is carrying out “systematic crimes and revenge attacks” against prisoners, most recently in the Israeli-occupied West Bank’s Ofer prison.
Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the association, said that the group had documented horrific testimonies, including severe beatings and shackling prisoners for days and weeks without food or water.
Reuters is unable to independently confirm the reports.
Human rights group Amnesty International said last year that 27 released detainees it had interviewed consistently described being subjected to torture on at least one occasion during their arrest.

Israel will leave troops in 5 locations in Lebanon after Tuesday deadline, military spokesperson says

Israeli army forces patrol in the village of Kfarshuba in southern Lebanon on February 17, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 25 min 36 sec ago
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Israel will leave troops in 5 locations in Lebanon after Tuesday deadline, military spokesperson says

  • “We need to remain at those points at the moment to defend Israeli citizens, to make sure this process is complete,” military spokesperson said
  • Lebanon’s President Aoun said Monday he was “afraid that the complete withdrawal will not be achieved tomorrow”

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM: Israel will keep troops in several posts in southern Lebanon past a February 18 deadline for them to withdraw, a military spokesperson said on Monday, as Israeli leaders sought to reassure northern residents that they can return home safely.
Under a truce deal brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah since early October.
That deadline was extended to February 18, but Israeli and Lebanese officials as well as foreign diplomats had anticipated that the military would retain some troops on parts of the Lebanese side of the border.
“We need to remain at those points at the moment to defend Israeli citizens, to make sure this process is complete and eventually hand it over to the Lebanese armed forces,” military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told a briefing with reporters, adding that the move was in accordance with the mechanism of the ceasefire agreement.
He said the locations were close to Israeli communities or occupying strategic vantage points overlooking Israeli towns like Metula, at the northernmost point of Israel.
“Basically the security situation is very, very complex,” he said.
A Lebanese official and two foreign diplomats said Israeli troops would likely leave villages in south Lebanon but stay in overlook points to reassure residents of northern Israel who are set to return home on March 1.
Tens of thousands of people were displaced from northern Israel by Hezbollah rocket fire and more than a million people in Lebanon fled Israeli air strikes in the year-long war conflict playing out in parallel with the Gaza war.
The fighting ended in late November with a truce ordering Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah fighters and arms to leave and Lebanese troops to deploy.
The ceasefire deal stipulates that only “official military and security forces” in Lebanon can carry arms and that the Lebanese government must prevent any transfers of arms or related material to non-state armed groups.
Its language — sharper than previous United Nations Security Council Resolutions — appears to spells out ways that the Lebanese state will be expected to constrain Hezbollah, diplomats and analysts said.
The deal’s implementation is being overseen by a committee chaired by the US and France.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, who has said Israeli troops should leave by the February 18 deadline, said on Monday he was “afraid that the complete (Israeli) withdrawal will not be achieved tomorrow.”
The two diplomats said talks were still underway on alternatives to Israeli troops staying, including possibly deploying more UN peacekeepers to the border.
France has proposed that UN forces including French troops replace Israeli forces at key border points.
Hezbollah said on Sunday that Israeli forces still in Lebanon after Tuesday would be considered an occupying force.
Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years, withdrawing in 2000 after continued attacks on its positions in occupied Lebanese territory by Hezbollah, founded in 1982 to counter Israel’s invasions.
In the latest war, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire for nearly a year, mostly around the border. Israel significantly escalated in September, eliminating much of Hezbollah’s top leadership in air strikes and sending ground troops into south Lebanon.


UN appeals for $6 billion for Sudan crisis aid in 2025

Updated 17 February 2025
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UN appeals for $6 billion for Sudan crisis aid in 2025

  • The aim is to provide assistance to nearly 26 million people this year, UN bodies say
  • Civil war has displaced 12 million people, of whom around 3.5 million have fled the country

GENEVA: The UN appealed Monday for $6 billion to provide desperately-needed aid to people in war-ravaged Sudan and millions of refugees fleeing “appalling” conditions.
The aim is to provide assistance to nearly 26 million people this year, the United Nations’ humanitarian agency OCHA and refugee agency UNHCR said in a joint appeal.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been locked in a brutal conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The UN agencies said the civil war has displaced 12 million people, of whom around 3.5 million have fled the country.
They stressed that at the same time, nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s population needs emergency aid, as swathes of the country face famine conditions.
“Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement.
“Famine is taking hold. An epidemic of sexual violence rages. Children are being killed and injured. The suffering is appalling.”
Famine conditions have already been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including in displacement camps in Darfur and in the western Nuba Mountains, the UN statement said.
And “catastrophic hunger is expected to worsen by May when the lean season begins,” it warned.
The UN said it was appealing for $4.2 billion to reach nearly 21 million people inside Sudan with life-saving aid and protection.
Fletcher said the UN plan would provide “a lifeline to millions.”
The United Nations said it would also need $1.8 billion to support 4.8 million people – both Sudanese refugees and their host communities – in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda.
“Today, one-third of Sudan’s entire population is displaced,” UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi said in the statement, highlighting that “the consequences of this horrific and senseless conflict spread far beyond Sudan’s borders.”
The UN cautioned that without immediate funding, two-thirds of refugee children would be denied access to primary education, “threatening an entire generation.”
And “up to 4.8 million refugees and host community members will continue to face severe food insecurity, with at least 1.8 million going without food assistance,” it said, warning that “already strained health systems may collapse.”
Last year, humanitarian organizations received $1.8 billion for Sudan – 66 percent of the $2.7 billion requested – and managed to reach more than 15.6 million people across the country.
They also provided life-saving food assistance to over a million people in neighboring countries, as well as medical support to half a million and protection services to over 800,000, the statement said.


Israel kills Hamas official in southern Lebanon

Civil defence workers and Lebanese soldiers gather next to remains of burned car that was hit by an Israeli drone strike.
Updated 55 min 39 sec ago
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Israel kills Hamas official in southern Lebanon

  • Israeli military said Muhammad Shaheen was the head of the operations department of Hamas in Lebanon
  • A Hamas official confirmed Shaheen’s killing to Reuters

BEIRUT: Israel killed on Monday a Hamas leader in southern Lebanon’s Sidon area, the Israeli military and a Hamas official said.
The military said Muhammad Shaheen was the head of the operations department of Hamas in Lebanon and that he had recently been involved in promoting “terrorist plots” with Iranian direction and funding from Lebanese territory against Israeli citizens.
A Hamas official confirmed Shaheen’s killing to Reuters.
An Israeli strike on a car in Lebanon’s southern port city of Sidon targeted an official in the Palestinian militant group, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters earlier.
Lebanon’s state news agency said rescuers had removed one body from the car but did not identify the victim.
The Israeli military has been carrying out strikes against members of Hamas, allied Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and other factions in Lebanon, in parallel with the war in Gaza.
Those armed groups have launched rockets, drones and artillery attacks across the border into northern Israel.
Under a truce brokered by Washington in November, Israeli troops were granted 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon where they had waged a ground offensive against fighters from Iran-backed Hezbollah since early October.
That deadline was later extended to February 18, but Israel’s military requested that it keep troops in five posts in southern Lebanon, sources told Reuters last week.


Cairo building collapse kills 10: state media

Updated 17 February 2025
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Cairo building collapse kills 10: state media

  • Eyewitnesses told the state-owned outlet that “a gas cylinder explosion” caused the collapse

CAIRO: A building collapse in the Egyptian capital killed 10 people and injured eight more on Monday, with several others believed to be missing under the rubble, state media reported.
Ambulances were dispatched to the scene in the working class neighborhood of Kerdasa, where civil defense teams searched for people thought to be missing under the rubble, according to the Al-Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper.
Eyewitnesses told the state-owned outlet that “a gas cylinder explosion” caused the collapse, and a police investigation was under way.
Building regulations are unevenly enforced in the sprawling metropolis of Cairo, home to over 26 million people.
The city has seen a number of deadly building collapses in recent years, both due to the dilapidated state of some and, at times, failure to comply with building regulations.