Latest news with #Awad
Ammon
11 hours ago
- Business
- Ammon
Ma'amoul prices see stability in markets, offers surge as Eid approaches
Ammon News - Omar Awad, president of the Jordan Association for Restaurants and Sweet Shops Owners, said that ma'amoul prices remained stable, as they were during the last Eid al-Fitr. In remarks to "Ammon News," Awad noted that demand for ma'amoul has not yet begun, as Jordanians begin shopping for sweets two days before the Eid holiday in preparation for welcoming guests. He explained that the offers and discounts on ma'amoul offered by shops increase as the Eid holiday approaches.
South Wales Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
New aid system in Gaza has started operations, US-backed group says
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is backed by Israel and the United States but has been rejected by the United Nations and other aid groups, which say that Israel is trying to use food as a weapon. They say a new distribution system will not be effective. The foundation began operations on Monday despite the resignation of its executive director. Gaza faces a growing humanitarian crisis after Israel's nearly three-month blockade of supplies to pressure Hamas. Families in #Gaza remain on the brink of starvation. Letting aid in is the first step — we need a sustained, daily flow of trucks. We also need the ability to move and distribute aid inside Gaza safely & without delay. — World Food Programme (@WFP) May 25, 2025 The group said lorryloads of food, it did not say how many, had been delivered to its hubs, and distribution to Palestinians had begun. 'More trucks with aid will be delivered tomorrow, with the flow of aid increasing each day,' it said in a statement. Israel has pushed for an alternative aid plan because it says it must stop Hamas from seizing aid. The UN has denied that the militant group has diverted large amounts of aid. The move came after Israeli strikes killed at least 52 people in the Gaza Strip on Monday, including 36 in a school-turned-shelter that was struck as people slept, setting their belongings ablaze, according to local health officials. The military said it targeted militants operating from the school. The strike on the school in Gaza City's Daraj neighbourhood also wounded dozens of people, said Fahmy Awad, head of the health ministry's emergency service. He said a father and his five children were among the dead. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the overall toll. Mr Awad said the school was hit three times while people slept. Footage online showed rescuers struggling to extinguish fires and recovering charred remains. Israel's military said it targeted a command centre inside the school that Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants used to gather intelligence for attacks. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in residential areas. A separate strike on a home in Jabaliya in northern Gaza killed 16 members of a family, including five women and two children, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. It has vowed to seize full control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, from the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week after blocking all food, medicine, fuel or other goods from entering for two and a half months. Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has entered is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs. Israel says it plans to facilitate what it describes as the voluntary migration of Gaza's more than two million population, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Hamas warned Palestinians on Monday not to co-operate with the new aid system, saying it is aimed at furthering those objectives. Israel's military campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced some 90% of its population. Many have fled multiple times. In a separate development, ultranationalist Israelis gathered in Jerusalem for an annual procession marking Israel's 1967 conquest of the city's eastern sector. Some protesters chanted 'Death to Arabs' and harassed Palestinian residents. A small group, including a member of parliament, broke into the east Jerusalem compound of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has banned. The UNRWA compound has been mostly empty since January, when staff were asked to stay away for security reasons.
Powys County Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
New aid system in Gaza has started operations, US-backed group says
A new aid system in Gaza has opened its first distribution hubs in the territory, according to a US-backed group that is taking over handling of supplies. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is backed by Israel and the United States but has been rejected by the United Nations and other aid groups, which say that Israel is trying to use food as a weapon. They say a new distribution system will not be effective. The foundation began operations on Monday despite the resignation of its executive director. Gaza faces a growing humanitarian crisis after Israel's nearly three-month blockade of supplies to pressure Hamas. Families in #Gaza remain on the brink of starvation. Letting aid in is the first step — we need a sustained, daily flow of trucks. We also need the ability to move and distribute aid inside Gaza safely & without delay. — World Food Programme (@WFP) May 25, 2025 The group said lorryloads of food, it did not say how many, had been delivered to its hubs, and distribution to Palestinians had begun. 'More trucks with aid will be delivered tomorrow, with the flow of aid increasing each day,' it said in a statement. Israel has pushed for an alternative aid plan because it says it must stop Hamas from seizing aid. The UN has denied that the militant group has diverted large amounts of aid. The move came after Israeli strikes killed at least 52 people in the Gaza Strip on Monday, including 36 in a school-turned-shelter that was struck as people slept, setting their belongings ablaze, according to local health officials. The military said it targeted militants operating from the school. The strike on the school in Gaza City's Daraj neighbourhood also wounded dozens of people, said Fahmy Awad, head of the health ministry's emergency service. He said a father and his five children were among the dead. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the overall toll. Mr Awad said the school was hit three times while people slept. Footage online showed rescuers struggling to extinguish fires and recovering charred remains. Israel's military said it targeted a command centre inside the school that Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants used to gather intelligence for attacks. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in residential areas. A separate strike on a home in Jabaliya in northern Gaza killed 16 members of a family, including five women and two children, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. It has vowed to seize full control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, from the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week after blocking all food, medicine, fuel or other goods from entering for two and a half months. Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has entered is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs. Israel says it plans to facilitate what it describes as the voluntary migration of Gaza's more than two million population, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Hamas warned Palestinians on Monday not to co-operate with the new aid system, saying it is aimed at furthering those objectives. Israel's military campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced some 90% of its population. Many have fled multiple times. In a separate development, ultranationalist Israelis gathered in Jerusalem for an annual procession marking Israel's 1967 conquest of the city's eastern sector. Some protesters chanted 'Death to Arabs' and harassed Palestinian residents. A small group, including a member of parliament, broke into the east Jerusalem compound of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has banned. The UNRWA compound has been mostly empty since January, when staff were asked to stay away for security reasons.
Belfast Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
New aid system in Gaza has started operations, US-backed group says
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is backed by Israel and the United States but has been rejected by the United Nations and other aid groups, which say that Israel is trying to use food as a weapon. They say a new distribution system will not be effective. The foundation began operations on Monday despite the resignation of its executive director. Gaza faces a growing humanitarian crisis after Israel's nearly three-month blockade of supplies to pressure Hamas. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. The group said lorryloads of food, it did not say how many, had been delivered to its hubs, and distribution to Palestinians had begun. 'More trucks with aid will be delivered tomorrow, with the flow of aid increasing each day,' it said in a statement. Israel has pushed for an alternative aid plan because it says it must stop Hamas from seizing aid. The UN has denied that the militant group has diverted large amounts of aid. The move came after Israeli strikes killed at least 52 people in the Gaza Strip on Monday, including 36 in a school-turned-shelter that was struck as people slept, setting their belongings ablaze, according to local health officials. The military said it targeted militants operating from the school. The strike on the school in Gaza City's Daraj neighbourhood also wounded dozens of people, said Fahmy Awad, head of the health ministry's emergency service. He said a father and his five children were among the dead. The Shifa and al-Ahli hospitals confirmed the overall toll. Mr Awad said the school was hit three times while people slept. Footage online showed rescuers struggling to extinguish fires and recovering charred remains. Israel's military said it targeted a command centre inside the school that Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants used to gather intelligence for attacks. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it operates in residential areas. A separate strike on a home in Jabaliya in northern Gaza killed 16 members of a family, including five women and two children, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies. Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas. It has vowed to seize full control of Gaza and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, from the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid into Gaza last week after blocking all food, medicine, fuel or other goods from entering for two and a half months. Aid groups have warned of famine and say the aid that has entered is nowhere near enough to meeting mounting needs. Israel says it plans to facilitate what it describes as the voluntary migration of Gaza's more than two million population, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community. Hamas warned Palestinians on Monday not to co-operate with the new aid system, saying it is aimed at furthering those objectives. Israel's military campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced some 90% of its population. Many have fled multiple times. In a separate development, ultranationalist Israelis gathered in Jerusalem for an annual procession marking Israel's 1967 conquest of the city's eastern sector. Some protesters chanted 'Death to Arabs' and harassed Palestinian residents. A small group, including a member of parliament, broke into the east Jerusalem compound of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has banned. The UNRWA compound has been mostly empty since January, when staff were asked to stay away for security reasons.
Daily News Egypt
26-05-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Over 6,000 projects completed in Upper Egypt with EGP 32bn Investment: Local Development Minister
Manal Awad, Egypt's Minister of Local Development, met with a World Bank delegation to assess progress in the Upper Egypt Local Development Programme and explore ways to strengthen the region's business environment and private sector engagement. The delegation included Elin Olafsen, Senior Private Sector Specialist, and Zeeshan Karim, Senior Urban Specialist, along with other World Bank representatives. Also in attendance were Hisham El-Helbawy, the Minister's Assistant for National Projects and Director of the Upper Egypt Programme, and members of the programme's coordination office. Awad highlighted the longstanding partnership with the World Bank since the programme's launch in 2018, expressing gratitude for the Bank's continued support, which has led to substantial achievements across key governorates. She described the initiative as a flagship model of development cooperation between Egypt and the World Bank. To date, the programme has implemented more than 6,000 projects with total investments exceeding EGP 32bn, directly improving infrastructure and public services for approximately 8.2 million citizens in Sohag, Qena, Minya, and Assiut. Key focus areas include roads, sanitation, and electricity, with 40% of investments directed toward economic development and institutional capacity-building at the local and technological levels. Awad noted that the programme provides a scalable model for development across other governorates. The initiative has also advanced Egypt's decentralisation agenda and significantly increased private sector participation, benefiting over 72,000 companies. Surveys show that around 85% of business owners reported satisfaction with the programme's support—an encouraging sign for the government's wider 2024–2027 national reform plan. El-Helbawy provided updates on the World Bank delegation's recent field activities, including site visits in the four governorates, consultations with governors, and meetings with ministry officials. Discussions focused on enhancing infrastructure in industrial zones and supporting economic clusters in Qena and Sohag. He also pointed to tangible improvements in industrial zone management, service delivery, private sector engagement, and local revenue generation. Elin Olafsen praised the programme's role in boosting regional competitiveness, highlighting her visits to the medicinal and aromatic plants cluster in Qena and the industrial zone in Qeft. She commended the strong coordination between the Ministry of Local Development and the Industrial Development Authority in fostering growth in Upper Egypt's industrial sector. Olafsen reaffirmed the World Bank's commitment to supporting Egypt's efforts to enhance the business climate, digitise local services, and replicate successful models—particularly the economic cluster approach—in other governorates. The Bank's representatives expressed strong support for the cluster-based strategy, noting that 12 economic clusters have already been implemented, with most nearing completion. Full rollout is anticipated by October 2025. Zeeshan Karim described the Upper Egypt programme as one of the World Bank's most impactful initiatives in Egypt. She highlighted its achievements in local governance, job creation, and economic development, and reiterated the Bank's dedication to supporting Egypt's broader goals of decentralisation and sustainable urban and economic growth.
