UAE’s Lifeline to Lebanon: 18th Aid Plane Delivers Vital Medical Supplies Amidst Crisis

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  The United Arab Emirates has dispatched its 18th aid aircraft carrying 40 tonnes of essential medical supplies to Lebanon as part of the “UAE Stands with Lebanon” campaign. This ongoing initiative, launched in early October, aims to provide critical food, medical, and shelter supplies to the Lebanese population, who continue to face severe hardships due to ongoing conflict. In close collaboration with international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UAE humanitarian organizations are playing a pivotal role in delivering life-saving aid to Lebanon’s vulnerable communities. The campaign is a direct response to the directives of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with further guidance from His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, and under the l

Monkeypox: Fear over mistreatment of LGBTQ community in Qatar rises

 

LGBTQ community

Yet again, Qatar is in the news for all the wrong reasons. In the countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar's stringent policies and discriminatory practices against the LGBTQ community are raising concerns among rights groups and sports fans seeking to visit the country for the tournament.

Amid these circumstances, the rapid transmission of monkeypox in countries across the world is raising concerns over the protection of the LGBTQ community, particularly in Qatar. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while a number of people have contracted monkeypox, some groups including the LGBTQ community are at greater risk of exposure to the disease.

"Anyone, anyone, can develop and spread monkeypox infection, but many of those affected in the current global outbreak identified as gay and bisexual men," said Dr. John Brooks, chief medical officer for the CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Dr. David Heymann, former head of WHO’s emergencies department, also pointed to a link between the spread of monkeypox to sexual transmission among gay and bisexual men at two raves held in Spain and Belgium.

 Concerns over LGBTQ rights in Qatar

In view of this development, rights groups have expressed fear over the mistreatment of the LGBTQ community in Qatar due to the monkeypox outbreak.

Over the years, LGBTQ people have been facing unprecedented discrimination in Qatar due to the conservative laws of the Arab nation. As per recent media reports, several hotels in Qatar are refusing to provide accommodation to same-sex couples from foreign countries ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Qatari laws have banned homosexual relations in the country, targeting violations with severe punishments.

LGBTQ fans have also expressed their reservations about travelling to the country after it was reported that the Qatari officials may take away rainbow flags.

Meanwhile, cases of monkeypox have already been reported in the US, UK, Australia, France and Germany among other countries in Europe.

 

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