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Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
How heritage defenders are rescuing Gaza's artifacts, preserving cultural identity
LONDON: It is one of the more extraordinary and unexpected images to have emerged from the chaos and destruction in Gaza. Two men, wearing high-visibility vests and stepping carefully through the rubble-strewn streets of Khan Younis, are carrying a priceless Roman-era pottery jar, supported between them on a folded carpet serving as a makeshift sling. The incongruous photograph tells a story of hope and determination — hope that Palestine has a future, and determination that, whatever tomorrow might bring, the heritage of an entire people will not be destroyed. The photograph was taken during the summer last year, when the men, members of the Heritage Guardians Team from the Khan Younis-based Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts, were taking part in the evacuation of thousands of artifacts from Al-Qarara Museum, which had been severely damaged in the fighting. Today, thanks to emergency funding supplied by ALIPH, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage, those artefacts are stored in a relatively safe and secret place, in the hope that one day they can be returned to a restored museum. The rescue of Palestine's past is just one of 550 projects in 54 countries that have been funded by ALIPH since 2017. The alliance was founded by France and the UAE at an international conference on heritage in danger, held in Abu Dhabi in December 2016 in the wake of widespread destruction of monuments, museums and heritage sites in conflict areas. Saudi Arabia was one of ALIPH's founding members and remains one of its biggest contributors. This month ALIPH announced additional funding of $16 million for 28 new projects supporting heritage in Gaza, Africa, Syria and Ukraine, bringing the total amount committed worldwide by the organization since 2017 to $116 million. Much of that money has been spent on major projects, such as ALIPH's response to the explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020. Since expanded to cover 37 individual projects — 26 of which have been completed — the commitment to Lebanon has reached $5.4 million. ALIPH's funding for Iraq, much of it in response to the destruction of multiple heritage sites by Daesh, has seen more than $31 million invested in 49 initiatives. It began in 2018 with the massive project to rehabilitate the Mosul Museum, in which ALIPH invested $15.8 million in collaboration with the Louvre, the Smithsonian Institution, and the World Monuments Fund, working with local partners and Iraq's State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. ALIPH has also spent $3 million on 18 projects in Syria since 2019, working with 11 local operators to protect and restore archaeological sites, monuments, historic neighborhoods, museums and religious buildings. The new program that ALIPH wants to implement in the coming months includes the rehabilitation of the Palmyra museum and its artifacts, and the stabilization of damaged monuments at the ancient site, where the destruction inflicted there by Daesh in 2015 was one of the key events that led to the alliance's foundation. But it is the much smaller sums invested in timely, emergency interventions, such as several funded by ALIPH in Gaza, that often have a disproportionately significant impact. 'We have quite a large number of small projects,' said Elke Selter, ALIPH's director of programs. 'And a lot of these are acute emergencies, when you actually can't spend large amounts of money and just need to pay for an evacuation, for boxes to move objects, for tarpaulins to cover a hole in a roof, or for wooden panels to put in front of broken windows.' The cost of such interventions, which can make all the difference to the future of a heritage site, can be just a few thousand dollars. Larger, general applications for funding can be made through the regular calls for projects that are advertised on ALIPH's website — the current call, in partnership with the EU, is for projects in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and closes on July 31. But ALIPH is also open year-round to requests for emergency assistance grants, worth up to $75,000 each, for which applicants must submit a brief, precise proposal for interventions designed 'to halt or prevent irremediable heritage degradation that cannot wait until the next call for projects.' 'I believe that our emergency response is one of ALIPH's main strategic advantages,' said Selter. 'We do very important projects also, before and after emergencies, but there are many others doing that too. In terms of being actively present, and being able to provide funding within 48 hours, if needed, we're alone.' Part of the consideration of each emergency application is the risk posed to those on the ground. With only a couple of dozen staff at headquarters in Geneva, ALIPH is 'primarily a financial instrument, and so it's not ALIPH that puts on its boots and its helmets and goes on site,' said Selter. 'But we work with local operators and provide funding to people on the ground who ask for it, and who are, at that moment, doing whatever they can to save heritage that is clearly important to them. 'These people are going to do it either way, so we can either help them, or not. And if you know that you're one of the only ones that can help, I think there's a duty to do so.' ALIPH takes steps to ensure projects are as safe as possible. 'We try to do whatever we can in our power to make sure that the teams are as safe as they can possibly be, given the situations in which they work,' Selter added. 'In Gaza, for instance, we've put them in touch with UNMAS, the UN demining service, so that sites could first be checked. 'We stay in touch throughout a project, and in the particular case of Gaza we also make sure they understand that, for us, things like reporting deadlines are not essential. 'Of course, it's important that the administration at some point is in order, but we don't need them to risk their lives in order to send us a report within a deadline.' In Gaza last year, ALIPH partnered with the Khan Younis-based Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts and teams from Al-Qarara Museum and The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the West Bank to inventory and evacuate Al-Qarara's collection of more than 3,000 artefacts. • 550 Projects that have been funded by ALIPH since 2017. • $16m Additional funding for new projects unveiled by ALIPH this month. • 28 New projects to support heritage in Gaza, Africa, Syria and Ukraine. In April 2024, ALIPH also supported the urgent rescue from the rubble of surviving artifacts from the Rafah Museum, which, before it was almost completely destroyed by Israeli bombing, housed hundreds of objects related to Palestinian heritage, including a unique collection of traditional thobes. ALIPH is currently supporting emergency protection and stabilization measures for the historic Qasr Al-Basha in Gaza, being undertaken by the Palestinian Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation. Once the seat of Mamluk and Ottoman power, the palace became a museum in 2010, housing collections of the Palestinian Antiquities Department, before it was almost completely destroyed in 2023. Equally devastated was Al-Omari Mosque in the heart of Gaza's old city, which was built in 1149 and has been repeatedly damaged, most recently in December 2023. Almost all that remains intact is the building's minaret. ALIPH is supporting the Ramallah-based Palestinian NGO Riwaq, the Center for Architectural Conservation, which is carrying out emergency stabilization and documenting the destruction to support any future work. In February this year, ALIPH funded a damage assessment and stabilizing built heritage workshop in Cairo. Run by the Egyptian Foundation for Heritage Rescue and the Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Bethlehem, it has prepared 20 Palestinian heritage professionals to form teams and intervene in Gaza as soon as the situation allows. More than 60 heritage professionals from Gaza, the West Bank and Cairo also attended an ALIPH-funded online course on risk management and undertaking emergency cultural heritage protection measures. 'We were really surprised that we had more than 60 participants,' said project manager Gala-Alexa Amagat. 'Something we see in every conflict we work in is that people attach such importance to preserving the heritage that they have. 'A lot of the people in Gaza who attended actually walked very far every morning to get to a place where they could get a connection and connect to that training, which was completely beyond what we expected.' ALIPH relies on the generosity of donors, including nine member countries, public donors such as the EU, and private individuals and philanthropic foundations. Its next donor conference will be held in Abu Dhabi at the end of next year. 'Of course, the funding landscape is under serious pressure,' said Selter. 'But on the other hand, after eight years, ALIPH is becoming better known, which makes funding a bit easier. People know us now, and those who were hesitant at the beginning can see that we have delivered. 'We hope that our donors will remain committed and that they're happy with the results that we've delivered.' Ultimately, those results stand as a testament to the dedication of thousands of individuals around the world, from South America in the west to Indonesia in the east, many of whom are working in dangerous circumstances. 'The past belongs to all of us, and it is vital to protect our heritage to build a shared future,' said Valery Freland, ALIPH's executive director. 'We are much more than just a funder. But the real heroes are our partners on the ground, who often face great challenges, but are committed to protecting the world's heritage.'


Arab News
16 hours ago
- Arab News
WFP warns Gaza is on brink of full scale famine
LONDON: The UN World Food Programme warned on Monday that Gaza is teetering on the brink of full-scale famine, with nearly 100,000 women and children suffering from severe acute malnutrition amid rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Speaking to reporters at a UN briefing, senior WFP official Ross Smith said that hunger is worsening, and humanitarian access has been severely restricted. 'A quarter of the population are facing famine-like conditions,' he said. 'People are dying from lack of assistance every day.' Smith stressed that food and humanitarian aid are the only viable solutions at present, but movement inside Gaza remains perilous and limited. 'The markets are non-functional. Nothing is really moving inside Gaza for us,' he said, outlining the 'minimum operating conditions' required to respond effectively. These include functioning border crossings, reduced wait times and security approvals, and the ability to transport goods freely and safely. He said the WFP requires a minimum of 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily to meet urgent needs. 'Until we have that scale of assistance, it's going to be really, really difficult to control the situation on the ground.' Smith called for all armed actors to stay away from aid convoys and distribution points. Over the weekend scores of people were killed when a crowd surged around a WFP food convoy near a Gaza checkpoint. 'We cannot independently verify the death toll,' Smith said, noting WFP staff on the ground reported at least 40 fatalities, though other reports suggest as many as 80. 'One death is too many. This is far, far too many.' He denied any indication the incident was organized by militant groups, instead pointing to growing desperation among civilians. 'These were people putting their lives on the line, trying to get something off a truck,' he said. Fuel shortages and logistical hurdles continue to hamper aid distribution. Since mid-May, the WFP has managed to deliver less than 10 percent of the required food assistance. Smith said the agency has enough supplies pre-positioned outside Gaza to support the entire population for two months — provided a ceasefire is in place and aid routes are secured. 'We have the capacity, but we need a ceasefire,' he added. The UN does not use armed escorts for its convoys and has no operational relationship with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Smith confirmed. While the GHF has pushed for collaboration, no agreements are currently in place. Smith warned that time is running out for thousands at risk of starvation. 'Severe acute malnutrition, particularly in children, carries a very high mortality risk. They need treatment immediately,' he said. The UN continues to press for adherence to existing humanitarian agreements and call for a ceasefire to prevent further tragedy. 'Yesterday's incident is one of the greatest tragedies we've seen in Gaza,' Smith said. 'It was completely avoidable.' Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that a new mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military is further eroding Gaza's already collapsing humanitarian infrastructure. The directive, covering four neighborhoods in Deir Al-Balah, has forced thousands to flee, with an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people in the affected area at the time of the order, including 30,000 already displaced sheltering at 57 sites. UN staff remain stationed at dozens of locations within the area, and OCHA has stressed that all civilian and humanitarian sites must be protected regardless of military operations. The order encompasses critical infrastructure, including four health clinics, humanitarian warehouses, and essential water systems such as Gaza's Southern Desalination Plant. OCHA warned that any damage to these facilities could have life-threatening consequences for civilians. Nearly 88 percent of the Gaza Strip now falls under displacement orders or Israeli-controlled zones, effectively confining 2.1 million people to just 12 percent of the territory. By cutting across Deir Al-Balah to the Mediterranean, the order further fragments the enclave, choking off humanitarian access. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed serious concern over the latest Israeli evacuation order. He said UN staff remain in the area, despite two UN guesthouses being hit in recent days, even after their coordinates had been shared with the relevant parties. 'These sites must be protected,' Guterres said, calling once again for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and infrastructure. He reiterated his urgent appeal for unimpeded delivery of aid and repeated his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Guterres condemned growing reports of malnutrition among children and adults, and denounced the continued violence — including against people trying to access food. 'Civilians must never be targeted,' Guterres said, adding that Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate humanitarian relief. He stressed that the population remains gravely undersupplied with essentials such as food, water, and medicine.


Arab News
2 days ago
- Arab News
Saudi artist transforms scrap metal into sculpture
JEDDAH: Where others see scrap metal destined for the trash, Saudi artist Mishal Al-Amri sees opportunities to create artwork. In his bustling studio in Jeddah, Al-Amri works to remove rust before cutting, rolling, shaping and joining thousands of pieces of shaped scrap metal by hand. He has been upcycling unwanted bits of metal throughout his artistic career, which has spanned 20 years. 'The artist has an eye that sees what others cannot; an eye that captures the beauty in the heart of the damaged and neglected, and restores it to life and meaning. My ultimate hope and goal are to give scrap metal a new life,' Al-Amri told Arab News. When growing up, Al-Amri loved to draw. As he got older, he started painting. It was not until he retired at the age of 59 that he discovered his true passion and began sculpting with recycled metal after teaching himself how to weld. 'As I said before, it was just a hobby and I stopped it for a long time after I joined the banking sector due to the difficulty of balancing the hobby, the job, and then the family later on. 'Anyhow, when I was approaching 40 years of age, and after having a family and professional job, I began to pursue my artistic journey once again. I worked on paintings during my free time and vacations, and I lived for nearly 26 years just painting, readings, attending art seminars, workshops, and holding exhibitions alongside other local artists.' Speaking about how he started collecting scrap metal items from the street, the 65-year-old said: 'The spark for this artistic journey was the first moments of an evening walk, when my eyes would trace the floor littered with scraps of plastic, scraps of iron and discarded remnants of lighting and plumbing, no longer fit for use or neglected.' He added: 'These pieces I picked up from the streets would become the core of my personal art collection — materials I plucked from the fate of neglect to submit to my ideas and participate in the creation of beauty.' These materials can end up waiting for days and sometimes years in storage in his studio until an idea suddenly emerges. 'The journey of constructing the painting or sculpture begins; from choosing the colors and sizes of the pieces, to weaving the relationships between them into an artistic composition that gives it a new spirit.' The Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts recently hosted his first solo exhibition showcasing under the theme 'The Neglected.' 'This exhibition is the fruit of those moments; an invitation to see the beauty in the unusual, and to contemplate art's ability to redefine what is damaged and neglected to ultimately become more precious and valuable,' he said. 'My artistic experience in this exhibition is based on two complementary principles: First, protecting the environment from the effects of pollution and human-caused damage, by collecting remnants of harmful materials in the soil and saving them from becoming a burden on the earth. 'Second, sustaining the usefulness of objects, by recycling them and using them in the field of art after their original function has ended, reborn as works of art that convey an aesthetic, humanitarian and environmental message. Al-Amri says that he plans to continue creating scrap metal sculptures and paintings. 'On a personal level, I want to reopen the Cezanne Fine Arts Center, which I founded years ago and continue to cultivate art until its very end. 'On a more general level, I strive to raise environmental awareness, enabling people to respect and preserve the environment.'