Latest news with #Rania
Roya News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Queen Rania shares UNRWA warning: "Man-made famine in Gaza"
Queen Rania of Jordan has amplified a dire warning from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), stating that the worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in Gaza. In a message reposted by the Queen on social media, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini declared that Gaza is facing "an entirely man-made famine," with leading global experts confirming that the threshold for famine has been crossed. 'The worst case scenario of famine is now happening in Gaza,' Lazzarini said. 'More than 100 people have died due to hunger in the past few weeks alone.' He added that starvation and severe malnutrition are now widespread throughout the war-torn enclave, including among children. Lazzarini emphasized that the only way to reverse the catastrophic situation is to immediately allow large-scale humanitarian aid into the Strip. 'The United Nations, including UNRWA, have the expertise and resources available,' he said. 'UNRWA alone has the equivalent of 6,000 trucks of food and medicine ready to cross into Gaza.' He urged all parties to allow humanitarian organizations to work 'without restrictions, in safety and dignity.' The Queen's repost highlights growing international concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as calls for unimpeded aid access intensify. View this post on Instagram A post shared by UNRWA (@unrwa) Palestine
Middle East Eye
22-07-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
As a medical aid worker, I've never seen suffering like Gaza. It must end
As a medical doctor, humanitarian aid worker, and mother, I have spent the past two decades responding to crises in Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, and beyond. I have treated children clinging to life from preventable illnesses, supported traumatised women through childbirth in war zones, and witnessed the devastating human toll of blockades, bombings, and bureaucratic cruelty. Despite all this suffering, nothing compares to what we are witnessing amid Israel's genocide in Gaza. Today, the Gaza Strip is collapsing under the weight of a man-made famine, with women and children bearing the brunt of what UN experts have called "intentional" and "politically motivated starvation" - not caused by disaster, but by design. In all my years of fieldwork, I have never seen such a systematic assault on maternal and child health. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This is not a humanitarian crisis in the abstract. It is the intentional denial of food, water, and medicine to an entire civilian population - an atrocity unfolding in full view of the world. Deliberate starvation Humanitarian agencies like my own, Action For Humanity, are being routinely denied access to Gaza. Meanwhile, the so-called "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" - a sham organisation - is being weaponised: at best for political gain, at worst to deepen the suffering of Palestinians. These babies - some weighing less than 1.5kg - are not dying from lack of love, but from lack of calories Food, fuel, medical supplies, and even infant formula are being withheld. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 71,000 children under five and nearly 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition. UN Women estimates that over 557,000 women are facing severe food insecurity. In the neonatal units of Khan Younis and Rafah, premature babies cling to life on dwindling drops of depleted formula. Staff at Nasser Hospital have warned that the last cans of specialised medical-grade formula have run out. These babies - some weighing less than 1.5kg - are not dying from lack of love, but from lack of calories. Malnourished mothers cannot produce breast milk. Infants like six-month-old Lina*, born underweight and reliant on formula, are now starving as supplies are exhausted. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Her mother, gaunt and anaemic, cannot breastfeed. The few tins they had were rationed to last a month, but were gone within days. Women are giving birth in tents, among rubble, in overcrowded clinics with no anaesthesia, no antibiotics, and no hygiene supplies. Caesarean sections are being performed without proper pain relief. I have heard directly from women like Rania*, who delivered her baby alone, lay in agony without water, and was discharged within hours - bleeding and broken as she cradled her newborn. Weaponised aid These are not isolated tragedies. They are the norm in Gaza today. Health workers are witnessing a public health catastrophe in real time, unable to act - their hands tied by the destruction of the healthcare system and the deliberate obstruction of aid. This is not a failure of logistics. It is a policy goal. A crime. A crime against humanity. International humanitarian law is clear: starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. Human Rights Watch reported in April 2024 that children in Gaza had already begun dying from starvation-related causes. The following month, in May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These orders have been flagrantly ignored. This is not only morally indefensible. It is criminal. Why Israel wants to kill the children of Gaza Linah Alsaafin Read More » As a doctor, I have seen the slow wasting of a malnourished child. I have watched a mother's eyes glaze over as her baby fails to cry for lack of energy. I have held dying children in my arms. It is unspeakably tragic when it is a single case. But this is now the norm in Gaza - and the world is watching in silence. As human rights, international law, and the most basic principles of human dignity are violated every minute of every day in Gaza, we must once again call for the immediate resumption of humanitarian corridors to enable the safe, sustained delivery of food, fuel, infant formula, and medical supplies. There is also an urgent need to establish emergency maternity and neonatal care zones - staffed and supplied to provide safe childbirth and life-saving care for newborns. Urgent action Governments have a moral obligation to fund and operationalise emergency maternal and infant nutrition programmes via OCHA, Unrwa, and humanitarian NGOs, to scale up treatment for acute malnutrition and distribute essential formula. We do not need new international laws to prevent what is happening. It is already clearly illegal. What is needed is enforcement. The international community must ensure compliance with ICJ rulings through pressure, legal mechanisms, and arms embargoes The international community must ensure compliance with ICJ rulings - through diplomatic pressure, legal mechanisms, and the suspension of arms transfers. Failure to act now will endanger not only Gaza's children, but the child victims of all future wars. Allowing Israel to unleash wholesale violations of the laws of war sets a deadly precedent that will cost lives for years to come, far beyond Gaza's borders. This is a medical emergency. This is a humanitarian emergency. This is a moral emergency. And this crisis demands a response commensurate with its horror. As a humanitarian, I call for urgent action. As a doctor, I call for triage on a population level. And as a mother, I ask: how can we accept this? The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Middle East Eye
22-07-2025
- Health
- Middle East Eye
I have seen children suffer in Syria and Yemen. But nothing compares to Gaza
As a medical doctor, humanitarian aid worker, and mother, I have spent the past two decades responding to crises in Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, and beyond. I have treated children clinging to life from preventable illnesses, supported traumatised women through childbirth in war zones, and witnessed the devastating human toll of blockades, bombings, and bureaucratic cruelty. Despite all this suffering, nothing compares to what we are witnessing amid Israel's genocide in Gaza. Today, the Gaza Strip is collapsing under the weight of a man-made famine, with women and children bearing the brunt of what UN experts have called "intentional" and "politically motivated starvation" - not caused by disaster, but by design. In all my years of fieldwork, I have never seen such a systematic assault on maternal and child health. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This is not a humanitarian crisis in the abstract. It is the intentional denial of food, water, and medicine to an entire civilian population - an atrocity unfolding in full view of the world. Deliberate starvation Humanitarian agencies like my own, Action For Humanity, are being routinely denied access to Gaza. Meanwhile, the so-called "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" - a sham organisation - is being weaponised: at best for political gain, at worst to deepen the suffering of Palestinians. These babies - some weighing less than 1.5kg - are not dying from lack of love, but from lack of calories Food, fuel, medical supplies, and even infant formula are being withheld. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 71,000 children under five and nearly 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition. UN Women estimates that over 557,000 women are facing severe food insecurity. In the neonatal units of Khan Younis and Rafah, premature babies cling to life on dwindling drops of depleted formula. Staff at Nasser Hospital have warned that the last cans of specialised medical-grade formula have run out. These babies - some weighing less than 1.5kg - are not dying from lack of love, but from lack of calories. Malnourished mothers cannot produce breast milk. Infants like six-month-old Lina*, born underweight and reliant on formula, are now starving as supplies are exhausted. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Her mother, gaunt and anaemic, cannot breastfeed. The few tins they had were rationed to last a month, but were gone within days. Women are giving birth in tents, among rubble, in overcrowded clinics with no anaesthesia, no antibiotics, and no hygiene supplies. Caesarean sections are being performed without proper pain relief. I have heard directly from women like Rania*, who delivered her baby alone, lay in agony without water, and was discharged within hours - bleeding and broken as she cradled her newborn. Weaponised aid These are not isolated tragedies. They are the norm in Gaza today. Health workers are witnessing a public health catastrophe in real time, unable to act - their hands tied by the destruction of the healthcare system and the deliberate obstruction of aid. This is not a failure of logistics. It is a policy goal. A crime. A crime against humanity. International humanitarian law is clear: starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime. Human Rights Watch reported in April 2024 that children in Gaza had already begun dying from starvation-related causes. The following month, in May 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. These orders have been flagrantly ignored. This is not only morally indefensible. It is criminal. Why Israel wants to kill the children of Gaza Linah Alsaafin Read More » As a doctor, I have seen the slow wasting of a malnourished child. I have watched a mother's eyes glaze over as her baby fails to cry for lack of energy. I have held dying children in my arms. It is unspeakably tragic when it is a single case. But this is now the norm in Gaza - and the world is watching in silence. As human rights, international law, and the most basic principles of human dignity are violated every minute of every day in Gaza, we must once again call for the immediate resumption of humanitarian corridors to enable the safe, sustained delivery of food, fuel, infant formula, and medical supplies. There is also an urgent need to establish emergency maternity and neonatal care zones - staffed and supplied to provide safe childbirth and life-saving care for newborns. Urgent action Governments have a moral obligation to fund and operationalise emergency maternal and infant nutrition programmes via OCHA, Unrwa, and humanitarian NGOs, to scale up treatment for acute malnutrition and distribute essential formula. We do not need new international laws to prevent what is happening. It is already clearly illegal. What is needed is enforcement. The international community must ensure compliance with ICJ rulings through pressure, legal mechanisms, and arms embargoes The international community must ensure compliance with ICJ rulings - through diplomatic pressure, legal mechanisms, and the suspension of arms transfers. Failure to act now will endanger not only Gaza's children, but the child victims of all future wars. Allowing Israel to unleash wholesale violations of the laws of war sets a deadly precedent that will cost lives for years to come, far beyond Gaza's borders. This is a medical emergency. This is a humanitarian emergency. This is a moral emergency. And this crisis demands a response commensurate with its horror. As a humanitarian, I call for urgent action. As a doctor, I call for triage on a population level. And as a mother, I ask: how can we accept this? The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Roya News
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Roya News
Queen Rania honors Crown Prince's 31st birthday with sweet tribute, unseen photo
Queen Rania marked Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II's 31st birthday with a touching message shared on Instagram, expressing both pride and affection for her eldest son. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queen Rania Al Abdullah (@queenrania) Posting a photo of the Crown Prince carrying his daughter, Princess Iman, the Queen wrote, "Another year of being her protector and our pride. Happy birthday, our dear Hussein – baby Iman's biggest hero."
Euronews
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Bezos-Sánchez wedding: Who's in the star-studded guest list?
The wedding of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez has been stirring quite the chaos as many Venetians protested their nuptials in the lagoon city as they demonstrated against global inequality and wealth disparity. The wedding event is rumoured to have cost the multi-billionaire - currently the world's fourth richest man as per Forbes - north of €40 million. The wedding is however also drawing in a large number of global international stars. The wedding of the Amazon boss and a well-known face of US TV is in its own right one of the events of the year for the world of finance, entertainment and gossip. The wedding has a packed programme that started on Thursday with a lavish party held for the powerhouse couple's guests. The wedding is scheduled to take place over the weekend. So who has arrived, and who is due to arrive of the 200 or so invited guests in Venice? Who are the actors, sportsmen and VIPs who have arrived in Venice for Bezos' wedding? Some of the international jet set already arrived on Thursday afternoon where they were treated to their very own lavish private party in the Chiesa della Madonna dell'Orto - a 14th century church. Here are those who are already in town and could be spotted in the area. The US talk show icon, producer, writer and entrepreneur is an indispensable presence at top weddings. She was among the first guests to arrive in Venice Orlando Bloom The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean actor arrived in Venice without fiancée Kate Perry, who is officially on a concert tour. Bloom's solo arrival has added fuel to fiery rumours of the couple's break-up. Rania of Jordan Queen Rania also arrived in Venice for the wedding sporting a full black-on-black look. Rania arrived also and was not accompanied by her spouse, King Abdullah II, the monarch of Jordan. Tom Brady The American football legend, who won everything there is to win in the sport, including six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots. He added an impressive seventh championship in 2021 after joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady arrived in town shortly before noon on Thursday. He was soon followed by film producer Brian Grazer and his wife Veronica Smiley. Kim Kardashian The former model and producer, Kim Kardashian, landed at Marco Polo Airport in Venice, with her sister Khloé and mother Kris Jenner also accompanying her. Ivanka Trump and co The first daughter of the United States - daughter of incumbent President Donald Trump - arrived with her husband - entrepreneur and former senior advisor to Trump - Jared Kushner, and their three children on Wednesday. The family went on an excursion to the nearby island of Murano on Wednesday, complete with a visit to a glassworks and glass blowing facility. Bill Gates Bill Gates is also among the big names at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding. The founder and former CEO of Microsoft and current philanthropist was seen arriving at his hotel - the luxurious St. Regis hotel. Domenico Dolce The Dolce & Gabbana designer was photographed outside the Aman Hotel, where the soon-to-be married couple are staying. Could Dolce's attendance be a clue as to who designed at least one, if not more, of the wide collection of dresses Sánchez will be pictured wearing these days? Usher Rapper Usher has also arrived, one of the many music artists who are expected, from Mick Jagger to Elton John to Lady Gaga. The latter are expected to perform during the wedding ceremony, as is Andrea Bocelli's son Matteo. Actor Leonardo Di Caprio is also expected to attend the wedding, for a possible Great Gatsby-style party.
