Day: March 10, 2024

ISTANBUL: The International Union of Muslim Scholars condemned on Saturday the Israeli 'aggression' against the Gaza Strip and demanded the opening of crossings to send aid to its population. It came in a statement after the third meeting of the Union's Board of Trustees during its sixth session in Istanbul. The Union condemned 'in the strongest terms the crime of the century and the genocide war being waged by the occupying army against innocent civilians, amid the double standards regarding dignity and human rights, and the disregard for all UN charters, with the support and silence of many countries around the world.' It urged the Islamic ummah, or community, and free people of the world to 'exert all material and moral efforts to repel the heinous aggression and to open the crossings to provide food, drink, and medicine to civilians in Gaza.' The Union asked Muslims to 'make good use of this great month of Ramadan and pay zakat and charity to secure food and medicine for the children and women of Gaza , and to pray during all its nights, supplicating to Allah to repel the aggression of the occupation and to strengthen the resilience of the resistance.' It reaffirmed its issuance of statements, fatwas, practical proposals and previous stances in support of the oppressed, including children, women and men in Gaza. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas, in which less than 1,200 people were killed. At least 30,960 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 72,524 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents in the north, on the verge of starvation. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel is a ccused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Over 4.5 million people remain displaced in Yemen amid a years-long conflict in the Arab country, the United Nations humanitarian office said Sunday. 'I urge the international community to continue to give generously to the people of Yemen, to support them to rebuild their lives with dignity,' Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in a statement. Yemen has fallen into civil war since 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized much of the country, including the capital Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to set up an interim capital in the coastal city of Aden. UN estimates that in 2024, over 18 million people - over half the population - will need humanitarian assistance and protection services in Yemen. According to UN figures, 17.6 million people will be severely food insecure and an estimated 2.7 million women and five million children under five will need treatment for acute m alnutrition. Source: Anadolu Agency

The ship for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza will depart from Larnaca in the next 24 hours, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said on Saturday evening, attending the philological memorial service of the hero Evagoras Pallikarides in Paphos. Asked if there is any news on the humanitarian corridor and the "Amalthea" project, President Christodoulides expressed his satisfaction first and foremost for the fact that an initiative launched in October is receiving this international recognition. "We had a very concrete plan which I presented at the Paris conference", he noted. "In the next twenty-four hours the ship will leave Larnaca, I cannot mention the specific time for security reasons,' President Christodoulides said, adding that "we are in continuous contact on the one hand with the states that supported this initiative and at the same time I am happy because after yesterday's press conference with the President of the European Commission we have been receiving telephone calls from He ads of State or Government or Foreign Ministers to express their desire to participate in this initiative, an initiative that is being undertaken for humanitarian purposes.' President Christodoulides also said that the Republic of Cyprus, as a member state of the European Union, maintains excellent relations with all neighbouring states in the region and tries within its capabilities to contribute to addressing such challenges. "I believe that this development shows that our country can be a pillar of security and stability in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, a region of particular geostrategic importance, always modestly and humbly," the President said. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: More than 700 Israeli academics have called on their government to take urgent measures to prevent famine in the Gaza Strip. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed. More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents in the north, on the verge of starvation. According to Haaretz newspaper, 730 Israeli academics signed a petition demanding 'urgent measures' to prevent starvation in Gaza. The signatories said they 'cannot stand opposite to the humanitarian catastrophe taking place before our eyes in the last few weeks in the Gaza Strip.' They warned that mass deaths in Gaza would turn into an 'indelible stain' on Israel. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) s aid Sunday that hunger has spread all across the Gaza Strip amid Israel's ongoing offensive on the enclave. 'The situation in the north is tragic, where aid via land is denied despite repeated calls,' UNRWA said. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

A boat towing a barge loaded with humanitarian aid to Gaza is expected to depart from the port of Larnaka Sunday afternoon, as part of the humanitarian corridor "Amalthea". The Cyprus News Agency has learnt that the Spanish vessel, Open Arms, is already loaded with about 150 tons of humanitarian aid, including food and is expected to depart in the afternoon, after Israel's approval. For security reasons the departure time of the ship, which is expected to take up to two days to reach Gaza, will not be made public. The vessel will carry the floating platform "MMS ARIS" on which the humanitarian aid is loaded. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Hunger has spread all across the Gaza Strip amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Sunday. 'Hunger is everywhere in Gaza,' UNRWA said in a statement. The UN agency said humanitarian conditions are tragic in the Palestinian strip as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is set to start on Monday. 'The situation in the north is tragic, where aid via land is denied despite repeated calls,' it said. 'Ramadan is approaching. The death toll continues to rise. 'Humanitarian access across the Gaza Strip and an immediate cease-fire are imperative to save lives,' UNRWA said. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed. More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,600 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaz a, leaving its population, particularly residents in the north, on the verge of starvation. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: At least 85 Palestinians were killed and 130 others injured in the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory's Health Ministry said on Sunday. 'The Israeli occupation committed eight massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 85 martyrs and 130 injured during the past 24 hours,' the ministry said in a statement. 'Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,' the statement said. 'The death toll from malnutrition and dehydration rose to 25,' it noted, adding: '72% of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza are children and women.' Flouting the provisional ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 31,045 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 72,654 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people. The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel is accused of genocide at the ICJ. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe. Source: Anadolu Agency

Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou is in New York to participate in the 68th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). According to a press release issued by the Commissioner's Office, Christodoulou is representing the Republic of Cyprus, accompanied by a large national delegation and members of the National Women's Rights Mechanism, who will also participate in the session, held every year at the UN headquarters with the participation of over 160 countries. On the sidelines of the session, Christodoulou will have contacts with Ministers of Equality and representatives of National Mechanisms for Women's Rights from various countries, and will also meet with the Chairperson of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, and with the heads of the UN Women, Alia El-Yassir and Belén Sanz Luque, the press release says. It adds that in the framework of the session, the Republic of Cyprus is co-organising an event with Portugal, Jordan and Panama with speakers from the Council of Europe and UN Women, while on the same occasion, the Commonwealth is organising the Annual Consultation of National Mechanisms for Women's Rights, in which the Commissioner for Gender Equality will participate as Chairperson of the National Mechanism for Women's Rights of Cyprus. As part of her stay in the United States, the Commissioner will travel to Washington DC, where she will meet with the Deputy Director of the White House Council on Gender Policy, Rachel Vogelstein, and will also visit Georgetown University, where at a roundtable discussion hosted by Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace and Security and former US Ambassador for Women's International Affairs, she will engage with female and male students on gender equality issues, the statement concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Members of the Aegean Exporters' Associations, visiting Tokyo for the Foodex Japan fair, were hosted at a reception organized at the Turkish Embassy in the Japanese capital. During the reception, Mehmet Ali Isik, the coordinator of sustainability and organic products at the Aegean Exporters' Associations and head of the Aegean Dried Fruit and Products Exporters' Association, said they had to pause the annual event due to the pandemic and expressed pleasure at commemorating the centennial of Japan-Trkiye diplomatic ties. Highlighting the growing strategic value of the food industry globally, Isik stressed that Trkiye ranks as Europe's top agricultural producer and the world's seventh-largest, boasting a production volume nearing $60 billion. He added that Trkiye distinguishes itself through its quality and reliability in food production. 'The Turkish food industry has made notable advancements in adhering to international standards of production and maintaining ongoing quality assurance measures. "Trkiye, currently aligning with EU regulations, is making progress in this domain. With its premium products, the Turkish food sector successfully exports to major markets like the EU and the US. Moreover, Trkiye stands as a significant global exporter, shipping food products to nearly 200 countries. These achievements underscore the esteemed reputation of the Turkish food industry on the international stage,'' he noted. Isik also said that in Trkiye, research is underway concerning the sustainability of agriculture and soil conservation, alongside efforts in organic and ecological farming for health benefits, adding that production aligned with sustainability principles is encouraged. 51 Turkish companies attend fair 'We attended the fair with the largest area ever, with 51 Turkish companies,'' he said. Isik added: 'We are confident that Turkish food exports to Japan, a country importing food worth around $70 billion, can achieve significantly higher levels. Our goal is to elevate our trade volume in th e global market to the same level as Japan.'' He highlighted Trkiye's leading position in agriculture, boasting fertile lands, and noted that the country excels globally in numerous products, including grapes, figs, cotton, dried fruits, olive oil, cereals, fresh fruits, aromatic plants, aquatic products, poultry, and dairy items. Isik noted that exports to Japan encompass a variety of goods, including fish, dried fruits, olive oil, fruit juices, confectionery, as well as fruit and vegetable products. 'We aim to enhance our collaborative efforts to boost exports of medical aromatic plants, poultry products, dairy items, honey, and similar goods, where we hold significant global influence but currently have low export levels.'' He pointed out their extensive outreach through the Turquality project, promoting Turkish foods to many individuals, and stressed their organization of the national participation program for the Foodex Japan 2024 fair, which they have been hosting for 25 years as the Aegean Exporter s' Associations, with record participation this year. Isik also extended an invitation to the guests to visit the Turkish stands at the event. Source: Anadolu Agency