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AMMAN — "Every 10 minutes, a child in Yemen dies of preventable disease," the United Nations Children's Fund said on Sunday.

Indicating that the two-and-a-half years of war in Yemen have witnessed the killing and serious injury of close to 5,000 children, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa said: "Today it is fair to say that Yemen is one of the worst places on earth to be a child."

"The war in Yemen is sadly a war on children," Cappelaere said, adding that around 2 million children in the war-torn Arab state suffer acute malnutrition. 

Cappelaere noted that Sunday's press briefing was triggered by "our very successful delivery yesterday [Saturday] of 1.9 million doses of vaccines to Sanaa's airport

A UN plane carrying vaccines landed in the insurgent-held Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday after a three-week aid blockade.

The UN humanitarian affairs office had said on Friday that it had been given clearance by the Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the rebels since 2015 to resume flights to Sanaa.

Cappelaere said that more than 11 million Yemeni children are in acute need of humanitarian assistance. "That’s almost every single Yemeni boy and girl," he stated.   

"The reason behind this to be very straight forward is: decades of conflict, decades also of chronic underdevelopment," the director added.

The UN official said that access to children across war-torn Yemen is a "daily challenge" and ensuring that the supplies are reaching the vulnerable children is "another challenge", welcoming Saturday's reopening of Sanaa airport. 

"It [the airport reopening] allowed us to send in a first humanitarian convoy… [of] $1.9 million doses of vaccines that are urgently needed for a planned campaign to vaccinate 600,000 children across Yemen. Vaccinate them against: diphtheria, meningitis, whooping cough, pneumonia and tuberculosis," Cappelaere said.

He added that “much more” supplies are desperately needed by Yemeni people, adding that a number of UNICEF vessels were on their way to Hodeida port carrying “ready to use therapeutic food for assisting malnourished children, chlorine tablets for chlorinating water wells in order to ensure drinking water, medical supplies to support the prevention and also treatment of acute watery diarrhea and cholera”.

More than 2,000 people have died of cholera in Yemen this year, adding to the 8,600 who have died in the ongoing conflict since 2015.

“On behalf of every single boy and girl in Yemen, let me conclude by appealing once again to all parties responsible for today’s situation in Yemen, to all parties and all those with a heart for children: Please take your responsibility, don’t take it tomorrow, take your responsibility now,” Cappelaere concluded.

AMMAN — The 2018 draft state budget law will include for the first time social safety network/cash subsidy with a value of JD171 million, Finance Minister Omar Malhas said on Sunday.

The money will make up for rising cost of living brought about by lifting subsidies on commodities that have been a fixture in the economic system for decades, mainly the bread subsidy.  

Cash subsidy will be directed to all Jordanian families whose total annual income does not exceed JD12,000 and to individuals whose annual income is not more than JD6,000, providing that families do not possess two cars or more, or land and real estate with a value of more than JD300,000, Malhas explained.

In this regard, the minister, delivering the budget speech before MPs, said that the Finance Ministry will launch a website that allows beneficiaries to insert their information, where 2016 will be used as a base year for income, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Civil and military employees and retirees, retirees of the Social Security Corporation and beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund will have the subsidy added to their monthly salaries, while other beneficiaries will receive the cash subsidy through a transfer to their bank accounts, he noted.

Meanwhile, Malhas expected the economic growth to stand at 2.5 per cent in 2018, and 2.7 and 2.9 per cent for the following two years, respectively, adding that inflation rates will drop to 1.5 per cent in 2018 and rise to 2.5 per cent in each of 2019 and 2020, compared to its current level of 3.3 per cent.

He underlined that the economic growth rate stood in the first half of the year at 2.3 per cent, and is also expected to continue at the same level until the yearend, noting that such rate is not enough to create jobs under an unemployment rate of 18.1 per cent. 

The minister stressed that the government would carry on with plans to improve methods of tax revenue collections, curb tax evasion and stiffen penalties against evaders, while adopting a gradual elimination of tax exemptions on goods and services.

He expected the said corrective measures to be implemented by the government, including public expenditure control, to increase revenues by JD450 million in 2018.

As for local revenues, he expected them to stand at JD8.496 billion, compared with JD7.715 billion of re-estimated revenues in 2017, adding that current expenditures are estimated at JD7.886 billion and capital expenditures at JD1.153 billion in 2018.

The minister said that projects in the economic stimulation plan are earmarked an approximate sum of JD426 million, constituting 37 per cent of next year’s capital expenditures. 

The after-grants deficit in 2018’s budget is expected to sway around JD543 million in 2018, dropping by JD209 million in the reestimated value in the 2017 budget, he added.

As for government units, Malhas said that their revenues are estimated at JD1.664 billion and their expenditures at JD1.812 billion with a deficit of JD148 million, noting that with the exclusion of the deficits of the Jordan Water Authority and National Electric Power Company, the deficit will turn into a surplus of JD185 million.

The minister noted that the combined deficit of the central government and government units will drop next year to JD831 million, down from JD1.035 billion in 2017.  

As for the monetary situation of the Kingdom, Malhas said that foreign currency reserves at the Central Bank of Jordan reached $11.7 billion, which is enough to cover the Kingdom’s imports for seven months.

He added that the public debt until the end of 2017’s October totalled JD27.1 billion, which equals 95.3 per cent of the gross domestic product, which means that the government has succeeded in freezing the debt-GDP ratio at this level, yet the issue remains a “source of concern for the government”.

Malhas expected the general debt to equal 93.6 per cent of the GDP in 2018, before dropping to 90.3 and 86.2 per cent in 2019 and 2020, respectively. 

After listening to the government’s speech, the Lower House referred the draft laws to its financial committee.

The house also referred several draft laws and amendments of laws and by-laws to the relevant committees.

AMMAN — Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani on Sunday delivered before an Islamic anti-terror summit a speech on media role in fighting terrorism and extremism.

The first meeting of the council of defence ministers of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism in Riyadh, attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, aims at joining efforts of the alliance in facing terrorism and extremism at all levels, and addresses four main aspects related to the media, ideology, military and funding aspects of the fight against terrorism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

At the meeting, dubbed "united against terrorism", Momani highlighted the importance of using media outlets in raising awareness against hate and extremism speech that leads to terrorism.

The minister said that this meeting is extraordinary not only because "we are a nation of peace, justice and moderation", but also because Muslims must be at the forefront in the fight against those who kill in the name of Islam.

He called on Arab and Islamic countries to intensify cooperation and coordination, exchange expertise and views, and build on previous successes, until reaching effective tools that contribute to fighting terrorism at the ideological level and falsifying distorted allegations that contradict with religious and human values.

Momani also called on the moderate and professional media to work for having a more effective impact than outlets used by terrorists and extremists to distort the identities and histories of Arab and Muslim nations.

He noted that the responsibility of refuting allegations and broadcasting a mainstream content is bigger in light of the successive technological developments the media sector has been witnessing, especially when it comes to social media that have been used by terror recruiters to broadcast their crooked ideologies to hunt for new followers.

The minister reviewed Jordan’s experiment in dealing with media as an effective tool in addressing terrorism through three main levels.

The first, he said, is the political and professional level that identifies frameworks and policies of dealing with media outlets, so as to enhance the role of moderate media that seek the truth.

The second approach was at the legal level, under which laws were enacted to fortify communities and put clear legal constrains to limit violations, Momani explained, adding that the third level is related to the security aspect, or tracking violations that may threaten the security of nations.

He stressed that Jordan’s work under these levels proved the possibility of turning media outlets into factors of resilience.

AMMAN — The trade balance deficit rose by 11.2 per cent until September compared to the same period of last year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday. 

According to the Department of Statistics (DoS), the total value of exports stood at JD3.890 billion with a drop of 2.8 per cent compared to the same period last year. 

For the national exports, they amounted to JD3.290 billion, dropping by 0.1 per cent. The DoS said that the imports amounted to 10.604 billion until September, up by 5.6 per cent in comparison to the same period of 2016.  

Jordan's main exports include textiles, potassium, phosphates, fertilisers, vegetables and pharmaceutical products. 

AMMAN — Hosting the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup (WAC) in the Kingdom is one of the steps taken by the Jordan Football Association (JFA) to enhance the local women’s football scene, said Farah Badarneh, CEO of the competition’s organising committee. 

Jordan is scheduled to host the next WAC in Amman between April 4 and 20, 2018. 

Badarneh described hosting the Asian cup as “important” as it is done in line with the JFA’s strategy to develop women’s football in Jordan.   

“When Jordan hosted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2016, the country gained a lot from it and it encouraged us to organise this senior contest,” she told The Jordan Times at the JFA premises in Amman. 

Having advanced and modern football facilities was among the benefits gained through the organisation of the previous women world cup. 

Two stadiums in Amman will host the matches accompanied by six training pitches during the Asian Cup.  

“Our task is only to implement maintenance works targeting these stadiums and training pitches to upgrade them to international standards,” the JFA official said.  

The committee is paying great attention to the marketing and media streams to further promote the competition, she said.  

“Drawing fans to attend women football matches is not an easy task. We are going to launch campaigns to promote the tournament starting this month,” Badarneh added.  

She recalled that, during the world cup tournament, the goal of the organising committee was to bring families back to the stadiums. 

“But this time, we want local fan clubs to attend the games to cheer for the team because Jordan is competing, not only participating, so we try to target all parts of society,” she added. 

She stressed that they will work with the Ministry of Education to encourage school students to attend the matches, adding that they will also cooperate with the private and tourism sectors.  

 “We have been approached by the football associations of Japan and Australia, saying that many football fans will come to Jordan to cheer for their teams. Tourism offices should provide them with specific packages that include watching the matches, accommodation and a city tour,” she said.  

Commenting on the chances of the national team during the competition, Badarneh said that local fans should believe that Jordan is able to achieve a positive result in the competition, which will help in making them able to move towards the world cup, an achievement that none of the Arab teams have been able to accomplish so far.  

Badarneh said that eight teams will participate in WAC, divided into two groups. The two winning teams in each group will automatically gain access to the world cup. 

She added that the third team in each group will play against each other, with the winner joining the other four into the world cup. 

The competition’s draw will be held on December 9 at the Dead Sea.  

“We want the world to know that Jordan does not only participate but they are able to reach the world cup,” she concluded.

AMMAN — His Majesty the late King Hussein on Saturday was awarded the “Legacy Award” at the TAKREEM awards ceremony, honouring “the father of Jordan who guided his country through strife and turmoil to become an oasis of peace, stability and moderation in the Middle East”.

Founded in 2009 to celebrate the accomplishments of Arabs in the fields of science, culture, environment, education, humanitarian aid and economy, according to its founder Ricardo Karam, TAKREEM held its 8th award ceremony in Amman, gathering noted Arab personalities from the region in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Noor and members of the Royal family.

Along with King Hussein’s posthumous recognition, the ceremony also awarded several laureates for their achievements under the categories of young entrepreneur, scientific and technological achievement, cultural excellence, environmental development and sustainability, outstanding Arab woman, excellence in education, humanitarian and civic services, corporate leadership and international contribution to Arab society.

Stressing the role of the award in “empowering, motivating and pushing new generations to go forward with their ideas”, Karam honoured 15-year-old Ghanim Al Muftah, a young Qatari entrepreneur born with Caudal Regression Syndrome, a rare disorder that impairs the development of the lower spine.

As the youngest entrepreneur in Qatar, he runs six branches of an ice cream company, operated by 60 employees. Also a swimmer, an ice skater, a professional scuba diver and a mountain climber, Ghanim, which means “winner” in Arabic, aspires to be a future Paralympian, according to a TAKREEM statement.

Represented by its Director Devon Akmon, an American of Lebanese origin, the Arab American National Museum received the award for Cultural Excellence.

“We are a ‘living museum’ that constantly strives to tell the stories and diversity of the Arab community in the US,” Akmon told The Jordan Times at the event, adding that “we want to share our culture because we are proud of it, and it is essential to spread knowledge about the positive aspects of the Arab culture and traditions in this critical time.”

A museum built “for and by Arab Americans” over 12 years ago, the venue has grown to foster cohesion within the Arab American community and with others, according to its director.

Another US based institution, Al Bustan Seeds of Culture was recognised for its international contribution to the Arab society. “Al Bustan embodies the vision of TAKREEM to promote a positive message about the Arabs through creative, educational programmes,” said Laila Al Shaikhli, the master of ceremony at the event.

For her part, Sarah Toumi, a French national born to a Tunisian father, was awarded for her work in environmental development and sustainability through her project “Acacias for All”.

Aimed at addressing desertification in one of the regions of the world that suffers the most from water scarcity, Toumi has been teaching local farmers sustainable techniques, with a special focus on underprivileged women. 

“I wanted to give something back to my country. I focused on women as they are the very first victims of the desertification issue and this project helps them to be economically sustainable and resilient through the sale of the extracted gum and oil from the trees,” she told The Jordan Times.

“There are so many environmental issues that can be turned into positive social initiatives, which can also help tackle poverty, unemployment and so on,” she stressed, thanking TAKREEM for recognising her work and voicing hope that “the award will help scale up the project and raise awareness.”

Other laureates included Zohair Al Halees from Saudi Arabia, given the Scientific and Technological Achievement Award, Maali Alasousi from Kuwait, for the Outstanding Arab Woman Award, Lebanese dietician Nahla Hwalla for the Excellence in Education Award.

The Syrian NGO Jusoor was honoured for its humanitarian and civic services while Raymond Debbané received the Corporate Leadership Award. Special recognitions were given to Saudi Prince Sultan Bin Salman and Melek El Nimer from Turkey.

Lebanese Maroun Semaan was also posthumously bestowed a lifetime achievement award. 

“The Arab world is alive. We want people to see stories of Arab successes that are a source of pride for all of us to broadcast the message that the Arab world is a place of initiative, creativity, positive thinking, entrepreneurship, and the sanctity of youth,” Karam concluded.

CAIRO — Education and strong implementation of laws that protect women are two important tools to safeguard the wellbeing of women in the region, according to participants in a two-day Euromed Women’s Rights Civil Society Conference that concluded in Cairo last week.

The participants agreed that there is an urgent need to break the stereotypes in education by ensuring gender sensitive curricula and training of teachers on gender matters.

Around 130 representatives from 107 organisations and networks, as well as academia and media from 26 countries, took part in the two-day, conference organised by Euromed Feminist Initiative and funded by the EU.

The participants called on the governments of the region to adopt comprehensive gender equality laws, especially those that criminalise all forms of violence against women, and to establish a monitoring system and allocate financial and human resources to follow up on implementation of these laws.

The participants also emphasised that priority must be given to sustainable gender equality policies to face the increasing wave of social conservatism, religious extremism, nationalism and populism, to favour democracy and development in the Euro-Med region as well as political solutions to the conflicts. 

They underlined that the rise of violent extremism has led to increased threats to women’s lives, and said it must be treated as a security issue integral to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, to be developed by the governments. 

Sexual violence, assault, torture and slavery increase in the context of armed conflict, the participants said, adding that the advancement of women’s rights is a key to promoting and preserving the rule of law in any society, particularly in times of crises. 

Women’s equal participation and role in social, economic and political decision-making as well as in peace negotiations are crucial in finding political solutions to the conflicts in the region, including solutions related to the burning issue of displaced persons and refugees, the participants stated.  

Therefore, the participants insisted on structural access of women’s CSOs and women’s rights defenders to participation in formal peace negotiations in the region, so that issues related to equal citizenship and equality between women and men are present in transitional processes.  

The development and adoption in all countries of the Euro-Med region of National Action Plans for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 was seen as another tool to include women in peace negotiation and decision-making and to curb violence against women.

 Turning to women and economy, the participants called for harmonising legislation to encourage women to enroll in the labour market and the economy, which includes the provision of safe environment that has zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

They also called for adopting gender sensitive budgets that address women’s equal participation and rights, as well as introducing non-traditional subjects in the school’s curriculum.

The recommendations also adopted suggestions made by SADAQA, a non-profit organisation advocating for a better working environment for women in Jordan, which called for the improved infrastructure and social services such as establishment of daycare centres at working places and ensuring safe transportation systems to encourage women to join the labour market.

 As for media, the participants recommended calls to involve more women in decision-making and editorial positions.

Director of Policies and Strategies at the Ministry of Social Development Ahmad Abu Haidar, who attended the event on behalf of Minister Hala Lattouf, addressed the gathering on Thursday saying that there is a "real need" of true cooperation between the government and civil society organisations.

 “We have a historical partnership between NGOs and the government to come up with strong recommendations and strategies on women’s issues and other relevant matters that concerns our region,” Abu Haidar added.

 He gave an example of the “real cooperation with the local organisation in connection with the expected opening of a shelter for women whose lives are in danger that is slated to open next year”.

 “This shelter, which will open its doors in the next months, is the result of cooperation and coordination with the civil societies organisations,” Abu Haidar said.

 “I believe that the presence of political will, as well as strong cooperation between the government and civil organisation, plus financial support will surely lead us to sustainable development and support of women causes,” Abu Haidar added.

Also on Thursday, head of the Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Egypt Diego Escalona told the gathering that the EU has a gender action plan that has number of goals to improve gender equality and empower women.

“The EU is devoted to support civil society organisations, in particular women's rights groups, because they play a key role in achieving gender equality and women empowerment,” Escalona stressed.

 UN Women regional office for Arab states in Egypt, Maryse Guimond, said that governments “cannot disregard half of the population [of women] and expect sustainable development”.

“Ensuring the inclusion of women in leadership and decision-making positions is of extreme importance. It is not just to increase numbers but to ensure effective implementation,” Guimond told the gathering.

 Executive Director of Euromed Feminist Initiative Boriana Jonsson stressed at the conclusion of the event that “this conference is the final step of the multi-sector dialogue process with decision makers, led by the women’s rights organisations and organised by the Euromed Feminist Initiative”.

“Our aim is to provide concrete policy recommendations in the field of gender equality to the ministers that are implementable before the next ministerial meeting in three years,” Jonsson said.

Jonsson and Co-President of Euromed Feminist Initiative Leila Al Ali will deliver the declaration of the conference to the ministers during the ministerial meeting on November 27.  

AMMAN — Queen Zein Al Sharaf Institute for Development on Sunday presented the Princess Basma Award for Development and Community Service 2017, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

This year's award focused on social entrepreneurship in projects implemented by individuals or institutions. During the ceremony, Princess Basma praised the initiatives and the positive energy they convey, as well as the humanitarian message they carry which benefits the community.

She stressed the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development's keenness to invest in youth and help them in developing creative initiatives. This year's awardees are: Mohammad Al Sharif from Aqaba and Basma Al Nader from Amman. 

AMMAN — Under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma, the 18th meeting of Heads of Population Councils in the Arab World will kick off on Monday titled "Population and Development in the Framework of Sustainable Development Agenda", the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The meeting is hosted by the Supreme Council for Population in cooperation with the Arab League and west Asia's United Nations Population Fund. The two-day meeting aims to review and discuss Jordan's suggestions over establishing a council for population and development within the Arab League, the regional action  programme on population and development for 2018-2021,  population policies and issues in the Arab world and migration. 

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Sunday announced that he dropped cases against the individuals who "offended him and his family members" through "irresponsible and illegal comments" that were published in a news outlet on social media.

In a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, Fayez said that he instigated a legal action to send a message that offending people and using swear words are a crime under the Jordanian law. He added that he dropped the charges due to the circumstances of families of alleged assaulters and following demands by mediators.