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Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Centuries-old Al-Anbar waterwheels spin a comeback
Shafaq News - Al-Anbar In the city of Hit, Al-Anbar Province, where the Euphrates flows quietly between fields and palm groves, the wooden groan of spinning waterwheels, traditional hydraulic machines powered by the flow of the river, can still be heard. Some of these structures, over 400 years old, have been used for centuries to lift water into elevated basins, which then feed irrigation channels supplying farms and homes along the river. These structures are most prominent in the towns of Hit, Anah, Haditha, and Al-Qaim in Al-Anbar Province. Folklorist Mohammed Al-Heeti told Shafaq News these waterwheels are part of the city's social and cultural fabric. 'Each was once named after the family that built or cared for it and celebrated like the birth of a child.' Al-Heeti explained that Hit relied on these waterwheels to irrigate its orchards when farming extended along both banks of the Euphrates. 'What makes Hit's waterwheels special is that they are built entirely from local wood, without any metal parts.' Tourism Revival Environmental and tourism activist Mustafa Al-Aani, a native of Hit who guides visitors through the area, said tourism has risen steadily alongside improving security. 'Before 2018, no one dared come here,' he recalled. 'But now we've organized more than 40 tours, and the waterwheels are the main attraction.' He added that the tourists are amazed that the wheels run on water power alone, 'no motors. Some think they're decorative until we show them how they lift water to irrigate the land.' Last year, the 'Hit Waterwheel Park' underwent a voluntary restoration campaign supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out by the Mercy Hands Organization, with help from local activists and the Youth Ambassadors program. Over three days, the team cleaned the park and riverfront, repaired lighting, and rehabilitated service facilities. Preservation Challenges Despite their historic and engineering value, fewer than 20 wheels remain, according to historians. Most have vanished due to the Euphrates water and dam construction. Yet local efforts continue to preserve what's left, as part of a growing movement—official and grassroots alike—to seek World Heritage recognition for Iraq's waterwheels as emblems of civilization and cultural identity. Nadia Al-Dulaimi, an expert in Islamic architecture and heritage, warned of improper restorations. Some repairs use synthetic materials instead of traditional wood, which compromises their authenticity and stability, she told Shafaq News. She also lamented that the waterwheels have yet to be recognized as part of Iraq's national heritage list, not to mention UNESCO's World Heritage list. 'This is an opportunity for local authorities and academic institutions to work together on a nomination.' Activist Ahmad Al-Rawi emphasized the need to involve residents in preservation efforts. 'Some old families still remember how these wheels were built, what each part is called, how to operate them.' 'In one project with students at the University of Al-Anbar, we've begun recording oral histories from elders about the waterwheels. We plan to publish a booklet soon.'
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
US to give $50 million to controversial Gaza aid operation despite violence concerns
By Jonathan Landay , Reuters Palestinian children wait with others for food at a distribution point in Gaza City. Photo: AFP / Majdi Fathi The United States is giving USD$30 million (NZD$50 million) to a controversial humanitarian group delivering aid in war-torn Gaza despite concern among some US officials about the month-old operation and the killing of Palestinians near food distribution sites, according to four sources and a document seen by Reuters. Washington has long backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation diplomatically, but this is the first known US government financial contribution to the organisation, which uses private US military and logistics firms to transport aid into the Palestinian enclave for distribution at so-called secure sites. A document reviewed by Reuters showed that the US Agency for International Development grant to GHF was authorised on Friday (local time) under a "priority directive" from the White House and State Department. The document showed an initial USD$7 million (NZD$11.7 million) disbursement had been made. The United States could approve additional monthly grants of USD$30 million (NZD$50 million) for the GHF, said two of the sources, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House referred questions about the matter to the State Department. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation declined to comment on the US funding or the concerns of some US officials about the operation. Israel's embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the US grant. In approving the US funding for the GHF, the sources said the State Department exempted the foundation, which has not publicly disclosed its finances, from an audit usually required for groups receiving USAID grants for the first time. Such an audit "would normally take many, many weeks if not months," said one source, who is a former senior US official. The GHF also was exempted from additional vetting required for groups supplying aid to Gaza - ruled by Iran-backed Hamas militants - to ensure that there are no links to extremism, the sources said. The GHF is working in Gaza with a for-profit logistics firm, Safe Reach Solutions, headed by a former CIA officer, and its security contractor, UG Solutions, which employs armed US military veterans. Reuters reported this month that US ally Israel had asked President Donald Trump's administration to give USD$500 million (NZD$830 million) to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Sources said the money would come from the US Agency for International Development, which is being folded into the State Department. Some US officials opposed giving any US funds to the foundation over concerns about violence near aid distribution sites, the GHF's inexperience and the involvement of the for-profit US logistics and private military firms, said the four sources. Since Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19, allowing limited UN deliveries to resume, the United Nations says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid from both the UN and GHF operations. "The majority of the casualties have been shot or shelled trying to reach US-Israeli distribution sites purposefully set up in militarized zones," said senior UN aid official for the occupied Palestinian territories, Jonathan Whittall, on Sunday. "Others have been killed when Israeli forces have fired on Palestinian crowds waiting for food along routes," he said. "Some people have also been killed or injured by armed gangs." In response, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said on Tuesday (local time) that it had so far delivered 40 million meals in Gaza but that the UN and other groups were having difficulty distributing aid due to looting of their trucks and warehouses. A GHF spokesperson said none of the group's trucks had been looted. "Bottom-line, our aid is getting securely delivered. Instead of bickering and throwing insults from the sidelines, we would welcome the UN and other humanitarian groups to join us and feed the people in Gaza. We are ready to collaborate and help them get their aid to people in need," a GHF spokesperson said. Earlier this month it halted aid deliveries for a day as it pressed Israel to boost civilian safety near its distribution sites after dozens of Palestinians seeking aid were killed. It says there have been no incidents at its sites. The UN has long described its aid operation in Gaza as opportunistic - hindered by Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza, and looting by armed gangs. The UN has stressed that when people know there is a steady flow of aid, the looting subsides. - Reuters
Daily Maverick
12-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Climate and development finance in a post-aid world — the case for country platforms
Country platforms, one of the most promising innovations in climate and development finance architecture, offer African countries the opportunity to take ownership of their climate and development futures – on their own terms. Anyone who has visited Cape Town may well have noticed the strange and mystifying sight of its unfinished, raised freeway. As you head towards the popular tourist destination at the Waterfront, one blunt end is clearly visible above you. Half a kilometre away, the other end hangs teasingly against the famous Table Mountain backdrop. These two ends, which were clearly badly askew and never going to meet – and hence the abandonment of the project – represent the perfect metaphor for international climate finance. The supply side lacks volume and the demand is too weak. They need a buckle to pull them together – and one that convinces asset managers and institutional investors throughout the world to pay attention to African investment opportunities. Talk of the town With the Trump administration slashing US Agency for International Development budgets and European nations shifting overseas development aid budgets to bolster defence spending, the world has entered a ' post-aid era '. But there is an opportunity to recast development finance as strategic investment: ' country platforms.' Country platforms are government-led, nationally owned mechanisms that bring together a country's climate priorities, investment needs and reform agenda, and align them with the interests of development partners, private investors and implementing agencies. They function as a strategic hub: convening actors, coordinating funding and curating pipelines of projects for investment. Think of them as the opposite of donor-driven fragmentation. Instead of dozens of disconnected projects driven by external priorities, a country platform enables governments to set the agenda and direct finance to where it is needed most. That could be renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, resilient infrastructure or nature-based solutions. Country platforms are a current fad. They were the talk of the town at the 2025 Spring meetings of multilateral development banks in Washington, DC. Will they quickly fade as the next big new idea comes into view? Or can they escape the limitations and failings of the finance and development aid ecosystem? The Independent High Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, on which I serve, is striving to find new ways to ramp up finance – both public and private – in quality and quantity. I agree with those who argue that country platforms could be the innovation that unlocks the capital urgently needed to tackle climate overshoot and buttress economic development. The model is already being tested. More than 10 countries have launched their platforms, and more are in the pipeline. For African countries, the opportunity could not be more timely. African governments are racing to deliver their Nationally Determined Contributions. These are the commitments they've made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as part of climate change mitigation targets set out in the Paris Agreement. Implementing these plans is often being done under severe fiscal constraints. At the same time global capital is looking for investment opportunities. But it needs to be convinced that the rewards will outweigh the risks. Where it's being tested In Africa, South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership has demonstrated both the potential and the complexity of a country platform. Egypt and Senegal also have country platforms at different stages of implementation. Kenya and Nigeria are exploring similar mechanisms. The African Union's Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy calls for country platforms across the continent. New entrants can learn from countries that started first. But country platforms come in different shapes and sizes according to the context. Another promising example is emerging through Mission 300, an initiative of the World Bank and African Development Bank, working with partners like the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All. It aims to connect 300 million people to clean electricity by 2030. Central to this initiative are Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units. These are essentially country platforms anchored in electrification. They reflect how a well-structured country platform can make an impact. Twelve African countries are already moving in this direction. All announced their Mission 300 compacts at the Africa Heads of State Summit in Tanzania. This growing cohort reflects a continental commitment to putting energy-driven country platforms at the heart of Africa's development architecture. Why now – and why Africa? A well-functioning country platform can help in a number of ways. First, it can give the political and economic leadership a clear goal. The platform can survive elections and show stability, certainty and transparency to the investment world. Second, national ownership and strategic alignment can reduce risk and build confidence. That would encourage investment. Third, it builds trust among development partners and investors through clear priorities, transparency and national ownership. Fourth, it moves beyond isolated pilot projects to system-level transformation – meaning structural change. The transition in one sector, energy for example, creates new value chains that create more, better and safer jobs. Country platforms put African governments in charge of their own economic development, not as passive recipients of climate finance. The country sets its investment priorities and then the match-making with international climate finance can begin. Making it work: what's needed Developing the data on which a country bases its investment and development plans, and blending those with the fiscal, climate and nature data, is complex. For this reason country platforms require investment in institutional capacity, cross-ministerial collaboration and strong coordination between finance ministries, environment agencies and economic planners. And especially, in leadership capability. African countries must take charge of this capacity and capability acceleration. Second, development partners can respond by providing money as well as supporting African leadership, aligning with national strategies, and being willing to co-design mechanisms that meet both investor expectations and local realities. Capacity is especially crucial given the scale of Africa's needs. According to the African Development Bank, Africa will require more than $200-billion annually by 2030 to meet its climate goals. Donor aid will provide only a fraction of this. It will require smart, coordinated investment and careful debt management. Country platforms provide the structure to govern the process. Seizing the opportunity Country platforms represent one of the most promising innovations in climate and development finance architecture. Properly designed and led, they offer African countries the opportunity to take ownership of their climate and development futures – on their own terms. Country platforms could be the 'buckle' that finally enables the supply and demand sides of climate finance to come together. It will require commitment, strategic and technical capability, and, above all, smart leadership. DM
TimesLIVE
06-06-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Contraceptives for sub-Saharan Africa stuck in warehouses after US aid cuts
Contraceptives that could help prevent millions of unwanted pregnancies in some of the world's poorest countries are stuck in warehouses because of US aid cuts and could be destroyed, two aid industry sources and one former government official said. The stock, held in Belgium and Dubai, includes condoms, contraceptive implants, pills and intrauterine devices, together worth about $11m (R195.5m), the sources told Reuters. It has been stalled since the Trump administration started cutting foreign aid as part of its 'America First' policy in February, as the US government no longer wants to donate the contraceptives or pay the costs for delivery, they said. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has instead asked the contractor managing its health supply chain, Chemonics, to try to sell it, two of the sources said. An internal USAID memo, sent in April, said a quantity of contraceptives was being kept in warehouses and they should be 'immediately transferred to another entity to prevent waste or additional costs'. A senior US state department official told Reuters no decision had been made about the future of the contraceptives. They did not respond to questions about the reasons why the contraceptives were in storage or the impact of the US aid cuts and delays.
TimesLIVE
05-06-2025
- Politics
- TimesLIVE
Ingenuity helps Zimbabwe weather drought and US aid cuts
Last year, Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park fed villagers who were starved by drought with elephants they had culled to reduce overpopulation. This year, the nearby community of Mabale is banking on rain-harvesting to help locals grow enough food, using chicken wire, canvas and cement to get through the extreme weather that has become Zimbabwe's new norm. President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster last April because of the drought and climate experts say this kind of extreme weather is only going to get worse. 'Zimbabwe is a country highly affected by climate change, and looking ahead, science tells us that the situation is likely to become worse,' said Mattias Soderberg, global climate lead at DanChurchAid, a Danish humanitarian organisation. In 2024, Zimbabwe was hit by Southern Africa's worst drought in 40 years. Harvests failed and water reserves dried up in a country where 70% of people rely on subsistence agriculture. The unprecedented drought was fuelled by El Nino, a climate phenomenon that can worsen drought or storms — weather that is made more likely by climate change. Last year, the United Nations said Zimbabwe was among 18 locations that risked a 'firestorm of hunger' in the absence of aid. But now aid has been heavily cut worldwide after President Donald Trump gutted the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on taking office this year. US funding supported a range of projects in Zimbabwe in agriculture, health and food security. The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization has received termination notices for more than 100 programmes, with Africa the worst hit, a Rome-based spokesperson said via email. It couldn't come at a worse time for Zimbabwe, as it counts the cost of its latest drought — and readies for the next one. 'Without funding, important efforts to increase resilience, and to adapt to the effects of climate change, may never become reality,' Soderberg said. Layiza Mudima, a 49-year-old mother from Mapholisa village in Mabale, about 2km northeast of the park, said her community was facing 'a severe water challenge'. Around Hwange, last year's drought dried up the boreholes and waterholes, threatening wildlife in the park and depriving people in Mabale of drinking water. And though rainfall from December to February this year was normal or above, fallout from the last drought persists.
