ARSAL, Lebanon- In early April 2014, the UN High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) claimed that the number of Syrian refugees registered in Lebanon passed one million, amounting to a quarter of the host country`s resident population. The UNHCR in Lebanon registers at least 2,500 new Syrian refugees every day. Hosting the highest …
TRIPOLI, Lebanon- Father Arabius knows his city well. He serves St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in Ebbe, a district of Lebanon’s second city, Tripoli. Ebbe is bordered by two rival neighborhoods where a recurring conflict has violently erupted once again. Since the start of the uprising in Syria, Tripoli has seen frequent episodes …
CAIRO. Egypt- Fuel subsidies in Egypt account for 22 percent of the state’s annual budget, taking funds away from other sectors like health and education. The government believes an ambitious five-year scheme, starting with a fuel smartcard roll-out, will reduce and rationalize fuel consumption, circumvent widespread corruption and phase out fuel subsidies. …
CAIRO, Egypt- Last week, a dozen of female artists turned the walls of a downtown parking lot in Cairo into a street art gallery. Colourful group murals carrying personal stories and spreading messages to increase women’s visibility, and positively affect public consciousness. Women on Walls (WOW), Sit El 7eta in Arabic, celebrated …
CAIRO, Egypt- For the residents of the Middle East and Africa’s largest city, Cairo, 2013 ended with the often repeated government promise to finally provide basic services and development in the slums, where half of the city’s residents live. But instead of waiting for Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi’s slum renewal project, announced in …
CAIRO, Egypt- Twenty Syrian women sew patterns onto recycled fabric in the offices of Egyptian NGO Tadamon. The center is located in the satellite city of Sixth of October, known as Cairo’s “Little Damascus” because it hosts one of the largest Syrian refugee communities in Egypt. Two weeks ago, Tadamon launched a micro-grant …
CAIRO, Egypt -Nearly two weeks ago I ran into a throng of doctors gathered outside a Cairo courthouse. Members of the non-partisan group Doctors Without Rights and the Doctors Syndicate, as well as independent medics, were protesting against the Syndicate’s general assembly’s decision to indefinitely postpone elections for membership to the Syndicate …
RAFAH, Gaza- Following Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, which ended Israel’s “Operation Pillar of Defense” last 21st November, Gaza’s tunnels are operating again. In the meantime, according to a security source, Egyptian security services are planning to “end smuggling” under the Gaza border. The recent eight-day Israeli bombing inflicted large damage on the tunnel …
The finalising of a new constitution has become the most contentious question in Egypt, yet a much needed step for the country to move past the current transitional phase. Renewed disputes over controversial articles in the constitution have cast a shadow on the completion of Egypt’s new charter, leaving little guarantee that …