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No price hikes until end of Ramadan
No price hikes until end of Ramadan Salah Al Deberky / 21 June 2013 Grocery outlets in the country will publish, from next week, a list of more than 60 products consumed during the holy month of Ramadan, with 50 per cent discounts. Products which are most favoured by people during Ramadan have been selected, and will be made available in the markets from June 25, well before the advent of the holy month giving consumers sufficient time to make purchases, said Dr. Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy. “The higher committee for consumer protection has decided to suspend all applications for increasing the prices of commodities, and no decisions will be taken on this count until the end of Ramadan,” Dr. Al Nuaimi said, noting that, the move was part of the ministry’s plan to support stability in prices in the markets during the holy month. As many as 100,000 Ramadan baskets containing a collection of discounted food items will also be made available. The department of consumer protection is in constant contact with sale outlets to be familiarised with all arrangements before the advent of the holy month, he said. The ministry is also keen on implementing Ramadan initiatives like the ration scheme through cooperation with major grocery outlets, he added. The Ministry of Economy, according to him, had contacted charity associations for coupons of the Ramdan ration and they will be distributed before June 25. “The Ministry is keen on developing the scheme which is largely meant for Emiratis, provided the associations supply the coupons with each one valuing between Dh300 and Dh500,” he said. He pointed out to the strong cooperation between the ministry and a number of major grocery outlets like the Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society, Union Coop and Sharjah Coop. The ministry will also coordinate with suppliers to avoid any hikes in prices, and all measures will be taken to maintain the prices during Ramadan, he reiterated. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
US-Taleban talks in Qatar not expected on Thursday: source
US-Taleban talks in Qatar not expected on Thursday: source (Reuters) / 20 June 2013 Preliminary Afghan peace talks in Qatar between US and Taleban officials are unlikely to take place on Thursday as originally expected, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Asked if the meeting would go ahead on Thursday, the source replied: “There is nothing scheduled that I am aware of.” Asked if that meant they would not happen today, the source added: “Yes that’s correct.” Continue reading
Dubai Cares highlights plight of refugee children
Dubai Cares highlights plight of refugee children (Wam) / 20 June 2013 On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Dubai Cares, a philanthropic organisation working to improve children’s access to quality primary education in developing countries, has highlighted the plight of 43.3 million people worldwide forcibly displaced from their homes and communities. Dubai Cares, through its ongoing efforts, has extended support to refugees, especially children who constitute 46 per cent of refugees, and people in refugee-like situations, so that they have a safe haven where they can recover from mental and physical trauma and rebuild their hopes for a better future. Commenting on this occasion, Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Cares said: “Children and their families who have experienced war-related trauma and disruption as refugees are affected by issues such as poverty, hunger and unemployment and are unfortunate victims in this ongoing struggle to create a better future. We are working to create a sense of normalcy and hope for refugees who have been uprooted from their homes and communities.” One of Dubai Cares’ ongoing programmes reaching out to refugees is a school-feeding programme in Ethiopia benefitting 25,000 primary school age children from Somalia. The refugees are sheltered in United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) camps in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia, which, in the second half of 2012, received more than 100,000 Somali refugees affected by the 2011 food crisis, described by the United Nations as the “worst in a generation”. In Dollo Ado the children of school-going age comprise about 46 per cent of the total refugee population of which only 31 per cent of them attend school and the school feeding programme. Schools in camps have morning and afternoon shifts in order to cover as many pupils as possible. The programme aims to stabilise school enrolment of refugee girls and boys in WFP-assisted schools and to combat the malnutrition crises of the refugees by providing on-site hot meals to school children. The programme provides meals to schoolchildren in the form of a porridge made up of Supercereal (100gr/person/day), a highly nutritious food fortified with vitamins and minerals, and sugar (20gr/person/day). Dubai Cares has also supported programmes in the Middle East, particularly across the Occupied Palestinian territories, and worked with Palestinian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. In the Occupied Palestinian territories while partnering with Medicines Sans Frontiere, Dubai Cares has supported emergency medical support for children in the Kemal Edwan Hospital as well as a deworming campaign for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) school children in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in order to promote and improve their health status, according to a press release by Dubai Cares. In Lebanon and Jordan, Dubai Cares was part of an educational emergency programme, implemented by UNRWA, which ensured Palestinian refugee children in Nahr El Bared camp were given access to basic education services. In Jordan, Dubai Cares in partnership with UNRWA supported the building of a new elementary and preparatory school for boys in Al Zarqa Refugee Camp. The programme included the building of a fully furnished and equipped school to replace dilapidated buildings. This ensured that students could learn in a safe environment conducive to learning. Continue reading
