GENEVA: The United Nations said on Monday it is seeking $6 billion for Sudan this year from international donors to help ease suffering in what it called one of the most devastating crises of our times, characterised by mass displacement and growing famine.
The UN appeal represents a rise of more than 40 percent from last year’s for Sudan at a time when aid budgets around the world are under increasing strain, partly due to a pause in funding announced by US President Donald Trump last month that has affected life-saving programs across the globe.
But the UN says the funds are necessary because the impact of the 22-month war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — that has already displaced a fifth of its population and stoked severe hunger among around half its population — looks set to worsen.
“Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” said UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher ahead of the launch. “Famine is taking hold. An epidemic of sexual violence rages. Children are being killed and injured. The suffering is appalling.”
Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan, including displacement camps in Darfur, the UN statement said, adding that this was set to worsen with continued fighting and the collapse of basic services.
One of the famine-stricken camps was attacked by the RSF last week as the paramilitary group tries to tighten its grip on its Darfur stronghold.
While some aid agencies say they have received waivers from Washington to provide aid in Sudan, uncertainty remains on the extent of coverage for providing famine relief.
The UN plan aims to reach nearly 21 million people within the country, making it the most ambitious humanitarian response so far for 2025, and requires $4.2 billion — the rest being for those displaced by the conflict.
UN seeks $6 billion to ease ‘appalling’ suffering in Sudan
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UN seeks $6 billion to ease ‘appalling’ suffering in Sudan
- Appeal represents 40 percent increase from 2024 amid tight budgets
- UN plan is most ambitious globally, aiming to reach 21 mln people
KSrelief delivers aid to Syria, Yemen, Lebanon
- Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food packages to some of the world’s most vulnerable people
RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food packages to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In Syria, 170 packages were distributed to families in need in the Rif Dimashq governorate as part of the Etaam Ramadan food project.
In Yemen, KSrelief distributed 1,300 baskets to vulnerable groups in the Al-Wadi district of the Marib governorate, benefiting 9,100 individuals. In the Aden governorate, 1,188 parcels were given to people with disabilities.
The Etaam project in Yemen targets displaced individuals, those in greatest need, and people with disabilities in Aden, Hadramout, Marib, Al-Mahra, Shabwah, and Hajjah, benefiting 160,812 individuals.
Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute more than 390,000 food parcels in 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of more than SR67 million ($17.8 million).
Additionally, KSrelief distributed 564 food baskets to people in need in Deir Ammar, northern Lebanon, benefiting 2,820 individuals.
In Syria, KSrelief provided food baskets and hygiene kits to 803 families in Harem, benefiting 4,818 individuals.
Pakistan court sentences five men to death for ‘blasphemous content’ — lawyer
- Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of “online blasphemy” cases
- Vigilante groups bring charges against hundreds of individuals for committing blasphemy
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court has sentenced five men to death for posting “blasphemous content online,” a prosecution lawyer told AFP on Wednesday.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of “online blasphemy” cases, with private vigilante groups bringing charges against hundreds of young individuals for allegedly committing blasphemy.
“All five accused were sentenced to death for spreading blasphemous content against the holy Prophet,” a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan, a private group which brought the case to court, told AFP.
“Separately all were sentenced to life imprisonment for Qur'an’s desecration and 10 years imprisonment for hurting religious sentiments,” lawyer Rao Abdur Raheem said.
The five men — one Afghan and four Pakistanis — were sentenced on Tuesday in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbors the capital Islamabad.
The sentences will run concurrently, Raheem said.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in the Muslim-majority country, where even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage and lead to lynchings.
The convicts have a right to appeal in the upper courts.
CMA proposes easing investor criteria for Nomu to boost participation, liquidity
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority has proposed easing investor criteria for Nomu, the Kingdom’s parallel market, aiming to expand participation and improve liquidity.
The proposed amendments suggest reducing the minimum transaction requirement for individual investors from SR40 million ($8 million) to SR30 million over a 12-month period.
Additionally, the requirement for quarterly trading activity would be eliminated. Under the new regulations, board and committee members of companies listed on Nomu would also be eligible to qualify as investors.
The project aims to reserve the term “Qualified Investor in the Parallel Market” for eligible categories, amend the minimum transaction value required for classifying a natural person as a qualified investor, and rank board members and committee members of listed companies as suitable to invest.
Saudi Arabia accounted for 31 percent of the region’s total initial public offering proceeds in 2024, making it the second-largest contributor after the UAE. The Saudi Exchange, Tadawul, witnessed 14 IPOs on its main market, collectively raising $3.8 billion. Nomu also saw 28 IPOs, generating $297 million.
The CMA called upon relevant and interested persons participating in the capital market to share their feedback on the draft for 30 days, ending on April 28.
Earlier in March, the CMA called for feedback on the draft “Regulatory Framework for Debt Instruments Offering Platforms and Investing in Them,” which aims to develop debt instrument offerings by licensed capital market institutions for securities crowdfunding.
With the consultation period to end on April 23, the draft outlines regulatory and licensing requirements for offering and investing in debt instruments, aligning with developments in the capital market.
Key proposals include allowing organizations to present debt instruments in the sukuk and debt market and enabling companies with a FinTech Experimental Permit to obtain the necessary license to operate as capital market institutions.
Organizations will need an arranging license to offer debt instruments through crowdfunding platforms. The draft also introduces requirements for safeguarding client funds and registrable functions for licensed establishments.
The proposal aims to expand the role of capital market institutions in financial technology, enhance the debt market, and increase participation in securities crowdfunding, supporting the CMA’s objectives.
Pakistan economy grew 1.73 percent in 2nd quarter, government says
- National Accounts Committee says first quarter real GDP estimate revised up to 1.34 percent due to higher-than expected growth in services sector
- Announcement came just hours after IMF staff reached deal with Pakistan for new $1.3 billion financing and praised country’s macroeconomic stability
ISLAMABAD, March 26 : Pakistan’s government said on Wednesday the country’s provisional GDP growth rate was 1.73 percent in the second quarter of the current financial year ending on June 30 and upgraded its estimate for the previous quarter.
The government National Accounts Committee said in a statement that Pakistan had revised the first quarter real GDP estimate up to 1.34 percent from earlier estimates of 0.92 percent due to higher-than expected growth in the services sector.
The announcement came just hours after International Monetary Fund staff reached a deal with Pakistan for new $1.3 billion financing and praised the country’s progress on boosting macroeconomic stability.
The country’s central bank in March said its full-year GDP growth target was at 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent and said it expected economic activity to gain further momentum. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Jewelry spending fuels Saudi POS surge for 2nd consecutive week
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s point-of-sale transactions climbed 6.3 percent to SR14.4 billion ($3.8 billion) in the week ending March 22, with jewelry once again leading the growth.
The latest figures from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, showed that spending in the sector registered the largest increase in the value of transactions at 29.9 percent to reach SR544.4 million.
Jewelry also saw a 34.4 percent surge in terms of the number of transactions, reaching 403,000.
The hotel sector ranked second with a 24.8 percent surge in transaction value to SR440 million. Spending on clothing and footwear followed, rising 24.5 percent, holding the second-largest share of POS transactions at SR1.87 billion.
Overall transactions increased by 22.4 percent to 12 million.
Expenditure on transportation edged up by 6.9 percent to SR950.8 million, and spending in restaurants and cafes increased by 3.7 percent, bringing the total value of transactions to SR1.5 billion.
The smallest spending increases were in the telecommunication and the construction sectors, rising by 0.2 percent to SR114.8 million and 0.03 percent to SR308 million, respectively.
Spending on education saw the steepest decline for the second week in a row, dropping 37.2 percent to SR88.2 million, following a 144.6 percent surge during the week from March 2 to 8 as students returned from the winter break.
Expenditure on public utilities saw a 4.5 percent dip to SR52.4 million, and spending on food and beverages recorded a 2 percent drop to SR1.88 billion, but still held the largest share of the POS.
Miscellaneous goods and services accounted for the third biggest POS share, with a 5.8 percent uptick, reaching SR1.7 billion.
Spending in the leading three categories accounted for approximately 38.1 percent, or SR5.5 billion, of the week’s total value.
Geographically, Riyadh dominated POS transactions, representing around 34.1 percent of the total, with spending in the capital reaching SR4.9 billion — a 4.6 percent increase from the previous week.
Jeddah followed with a 9.8 percent increase to SR2.1 billion, and Makkah came in third at SR933.2 million, up 14 percent.
Tabuk experienced the smallest increase in spending, edging up by 0.6 percent to SR248.2 million.
Buraidah and Makkah saw the largest increases in terms of number of transactions, surging by 4.2 percent and 3 percent, respectively, to 4.4 million and 9.8 million transactions.
