Travel hub UAE to halt flights as virus reaches Gaza; Saudi announces curfew for three weeks
Dubai: The United Arab Emirates, home to the world's busiest international airport, announced early on Monday that it was suspending all passenger and transit flights for two weeks to stymie the spread of the new coronavirus.
The announcement came a day after the first cases were reported in the Gaza Strip and Syria, where years of conflict have severely degraded the local health care infrastructure. The new cases also raised fears about other vulnerable areas, like war-torn Libya and Yemen.
Dubai's airport is a vital hub connecting Western nations with countries in Asia and Australia, and suspending transit flights there affects travelers around the world.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, announced that an evening curfew would go into effect starting Monday from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for three weeks.
Countries across the Middle East have ramped up restrictions on daily life in an effort to contain the global pandemic.
Most people only experience mild symptoms from the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus and recover within weeks. But it is highly contagious and causes severe illness in some patients, particularly the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. People can carry and spread the virus without showing any symptoms.
More than 331,000 people have been infected worldwide, and more than 14,400 have died. Nearly 100,000 people have recovered.
There are around 26,800 cases of the virus confirmed in the Middle East, but more than 21,000 of those cases are in Iran and many others are linked to travelers from Iran, which has reported nearly 1,700 fatalities.
The UAE's emergency and crisis management body and its Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that the decision to stop all commercial flights, including even transit flights, would take effect in 48 hours. The aviation authority said cargo and emergency evacuation flights would be exempt from the ban.
Saudi Arabia and at least seven other countries in the Middle East have already suspended all commercial flights to try and stop the spread of the virus. Also, several Mideast countries, including Iraq and Kuwait, have imposed evening curfews.
The UAE's Ministry of Interior announced overnight that people should only leave their homes in their personal cars for work or necessities. It said further announcements would be made regarding rules for taxis and public transport, on which many foreign laborers and workers across the country rely. It warned that violators could face fines or imprisonment.
The UAE also announced that malls, shopping centers and restaurants will be closed for at least two weeks, though restaurants can still offer delivery service.
The decision affects some of world's biggest malls and indoor mall attractions in the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Grocery stores, pharmacies and wholesale food suppliers are exempt from the ban.
Countries across the Gulf have already closed schools, gyms, parks, beaches and mosques to the public, including Islam's holiest sites in Makkah and Madina.
The cases in Gaza and Syria have raised particular concern, as both would be ill-equipped to detect or contain an outbreak. Authorities in Gaza say two people tested positive and were isolated after returning from Pakistan.
Syria said a 20-year-old woman tested positive after entering from another country, without providing further details Gaza has been under an Israeli and Egyptian blockade since the Islamic Hamas movement seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. The coastal territory is home to more than 2 million people but it only has around 60 ventilators, and all but 15 are already in use, according to Abdelnasser Soboh, director of the World Health Organization's Gaza office.
The nine-year civil war in Syria has left millions of people internally displaced. Poverty is rampant and many medical facilities are barely functioning.
There are similar concerns about a catastrophe if the virus turns up in Libya or Yemen, which are both divided by civil wars that have ruined their healthcare systems. Afghanistan reported its first death on Sunday, a man in his 40s. The war-ravaged country has reported 34 confirmed cases.
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Govt forms 7 empowered groups to devise strategies to tackle impact of West Asia war: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced the constitution of seven empowered groups to deal with potential long-term impacts of the West Asia war and urged states to work with the Centre in a 'Team India' approach to ward off the crisis.
Flagging 'serious side effects of the war', the Prime Minister recalled the national response to COVID-19, when empowered groups of experts had helped address challenges, and said the seven empowered groups will deal with the consequences of war and evolve strategies on fuel, fertilisers, gas, supply chains and inflation.
In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, he reiterated India's position of dialogue and diplomacy as the only solutions to the restoration of peace in West Asia.
He also said India was in constant touch with all parties, including Iran, Israel and the United States, to stress de-escalation.
While admitting to the unprecedented challenges the war is posing for India in terms of supply of essential goods, including crude, gas and fertilisers, the Prime Minister said going forward "self-reliance was the only option".
Acknowledging that the situation is constantly changing, the Prime Minister called upon citizens to remain prepared for every eventuality.
Noting that the war has created a serious energy crisis globally, he also warned miscreants against taking advantage of crisis, and has asked state governments to check black marketing and hoarding.
In such a critical situation, it is essential that a united voice of peace and dialogue goes out to the entire world from this Upper House of India's Parliament, Modi said.
He asserted that the government is trying to procure gas and crude oil from all available sources, and efforts on this front will continue in the coming days to ensure that the common people are not affected.
Modi also said necessary preparations have been made for the adequate supply of fertilisers, as he assured farmers that no burden of war falls upon them.
"The government is working with a comprehensive strategy to address every aspect of this crisis -- be it its short-term, medium-term, or long-term implications," he said.
The government, the Prime Minister said, has already constituted an inter-ministerial group, which meets regularly to assess any difficulties in import-export operations and work on devising necessary solutions.
"Much like the empowered groups, comprising experts and officials, that were formed during the COVID-19 pandemic to tackle challenges across various sectors, seven such new empowered groups were constituted just yesterday.
"These groups will be tasked with taking action, guided by both immediate and long-term strategies, on critical issues, such as supply chains, petroleum and diesel, fertilisers, natural gas, and inflation. I am fully confident that through these collective efforts, we will be able to effectively navigate the prevailing circumstances," Modi said.
Noting that the West Asia crisis is of a unique nature, the Prime Minister said its solutions are being devised in a correspondingly distinct manner.
"We must confront every challenge with patience, restraint, and a calm mind," he said.
He also assured that the safety of lives and livelihood of around one crore Indians in the Gulf countries is also a very big concern for India.
He said around 3,75,000 Indians have returned safely from the Gulf region so far, including 1,000 from Iran.
The Prime Minister noted that the coming period will pose a significant test for the nation, and the cooperation of states will be indispensable for success.
He urged all state governments to ensure that the benefits of the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana continue to reach beneficiaries on time, as crises disproportionately affect the poor, labourers, and migrant workers.
He also called upon them to take proactive steps to put special monitoring mechanisms in place and swift action against complaints of black marketing and hoarding.
"The uninterrupted supply of essential commodities must be the topmost priority for every state, and I earnestly appeal to all state governments to put special arrangements in place to ensure this," he said.
Invoking the spirit of cooperative federalism, the Prime Minister called upon state governments to ensure that India's robust growth trajectory is maintained regardless of the scale of the crisis, and that every necessary step and reform is implemented with speed.
Recalling the exemplary Team India spirit demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Centre and states, despite being governed by different political parties, collaborated seamlessly on testing, vaccination, and the supply of essential goods, the Prime Minister said this same spirit must guide the nation now.
"With the combined efforts of all state governments and the central government, the country will be able to effectively confront this grave global crisis. We must carry forward the same Team India spirit," he asserted.
While cautioning that the adverse effects of this war are very likely to persist for an extended period, he said, "The government is vigilant, it is ready, and it is formulating its strategy and taking every decision with utmost seriousness, the welfare of the people of this country is paramount for us; this is our identity, and this is our strength".
If the West Asia crisis persists for a longer period, serious consequences are imminent, he said, adding that efforts through diplomacy are being made to ensure the safe passage of Indian ships even during the war.
India's aim is the de-escalation of the war and opening of the Strait of Hormuz, he said, adding that the country's attempt is to encourage all sections to peacefully resolve all issues.
He said attacks on commercial ships and the disruption of international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz are unacceptable.
