Middle East countries respond to Morocco earthquake, Libya flooding with aid and solidarity

NAIROBI/LONDON: North Africa suffered two disasters in three days when a devastating earthquake struck Morocco on Friday, followed by catastrophic flooding in Libya on Sunday, leaving thousands dead and many more missing, sparking a global aid response.

On Friday night, a powerful earthquake, measuring 6.8 in magnitude, struck high in the Atlas Mountains about 70 km south of Marrakech, flattening whole villages, killing at least 2,900 people and leaving thousands more homeless.



Turkiye sending aid ship to Libya to set up field hospitals — health minister

ANKARA: Turkiye is sending a ship carrying equipment to set up two field hospitals to Libya with 148 medical staff, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Wednesday, after a catastrophic flood killed thousands of people.
Turkiye has already sent three aircraft to transport humanitarian aid as well as a rescue team and an 11-member medical team to Libya on Tuesday.


US should use its influence to help win the freedom of a scholar missing in Iraq, her sister says

WASHINGTON: The United States should use its influence to help win the freedom of a Russian-Israeli academic at Princeton University who went missing in Iraq nearly six months ago and is believed to be held by an Iran-backed militia regarded by Washington as a terrorist group, her sister said Wednesday.
“The current level of pressure is unsatisfactory. It’s just not enough,” Emma Tsurkov said in an interview with The Associated Press. “My sister is languishing at the hands of this terror organization. And it’s been almost six months.”


Credible reports of at least 13 mass graves in Darfur’s El Geneina and surrounding areas: UN

CAIRO: The UN Joint Human Rights office (UNITAMS) received credible reports about the existence of at least 13 mass graves in Sudan’s El Geneina, a city in Darfur, and its surrounding areas as a result of the RSF and Arab militias’ attacks on civilians, a post on X by the UN mission said on Wednesday.
The majority of these civilians were from the Massalit community, the post added. 


Arab Gulf and Central Asian states continue to pursue economic integration, experts say

WASHINGTON: A recent wave of extensive economic cooperation between Arab Gulf states and Central Asian republics has the potential to boost economies in both of the oil-rich regions and open up new horizons of cooperation and economic ties.
This was the view of experts during a discussion on Wednesday, organized by the Washington-based Middle East Institute, titled “Gulf States, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus: Is an unprecedented push for economic integration underway?”