From Foreign Waters

  In times of crisis, it is the responsibility of the global community to come together and provide support to those in need. The Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has been at the forefront of such efforts, working tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable communities across the world. Recently, the ERC conducted a heartwarming initiative to provide entertainment for 150 orphans and children with cancer in Latakia governorate in northwestern Syria on the first day of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday. This initiative was conducted in cooperation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent as part of the UAE’s relief efforts to help families affected by the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and neighboring Turkiye. The initiative was aimed at bringing joy and happiness to the lives of these children who have been struggling with health challenges and the aftermath of the earthquake. The children were provided with an array of activities, including games, music, and food, which helped...

  As part of its aid effort, the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) has announced plans to provide 10,000 school bags and stationery sets to students in Syria . The project aims to aid education in the nation and offer students the materials they need to complete their study despite the ongoing violence.  Some 1500 school bags and stationery sets have already been given out by the ERC to students in the province of Latakia, where the assistant director of education has lauded the UAE's humanitarian initiatives and support for Syrian education. The project has received positive feedback from the neighborhood, and many people have thanked the UAE and the ERC for their assistance. According to Ms. Ahmed, the UAE and the Red Crescent have supported Syria since the second day's dawn, and this most recent endeavor is again another illustration of their unwavering dedication to providing aid to those in need. The UAE is improving the lives of those impacted by the violence through projects...

  Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, arrived in the UnitedArab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, marking a continuation of the ongoing thaw of relations between Syria and other Arab countries.  It was Assad’s second trip to a Gulf nation in a month since the devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria last month. It was also Assad's third visit to the UAE since the civil war broke out in Syria. Assad arrived in the UAE with his wife, Asma, and a few Syrian officials. The Syrian president was received by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to a statement from Assad’s office. The Syrian leader received a canon salute as his convoy entered the royal palace in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, as reported by the official news agency WAM. The UAE and the Syrian leaders discussed ways to boost cooperation between the two countries and accelerate stability and progress in Syria. The UAE President reportedly said in a statement, "Syria has been...

  The UAE ’s recent efforts to provide humanitarian aid to earthquake-stricken countries in Syria and Turkey have been commendable. The country has shown its readiness to provide all forms of aid to those in need, regardless of their location. This is a testament to the UAE’s commitment to humanitarian causes and its willingness to help those who are suffering. The UAE’s proactivity in responding to crises such as this is remarkable. It is one of the first countries to provide medical aid, relief aid, and field hospitals to the affected countries. This shows that the UAE is willing to take the initiative and act quickly in times of crisis. The visit of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed to Syria and Turkey as the first foreign minister to visit those affected by the earthquake was an important gesture. It showed the UAE’s keen interest in the arrival of aid and its commitment to being a part of the global community in providing humanitarian aid to those in need. The humanitarian pictures ci...

Syria' s President, Bashar al-Assad, expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its emergency response and aid efforts following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last week. During a meeting in Damascus with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President Assad praised the UAE for being one of the first countries to offer aid and support to Syria.   According to the Syrian presidency, the Emirati Foreign Minister arrived in the country on Sunday to assess the damage and help coordinate the relief efforts. He also toured the quake-hit areas in western Syria, including the coastal city of Jableh, one of the hardest hit regions. The UAE has sent a search and rescue team to Jableh to help with the recovery efforts and has pledged tens of millions of dollars in aid to support the people affected by the disaster. The earthquake, which struck on February 7, claimed the lives of over 33,000 people across both countries...

The Libyan Embassy in Syria officially resumed work on Tuesday in Damascus.   The delegation of the interim government of Libya from Benghazi and the deputy head of the Syrian Foreign Ministry Faisal Mekdad took part in the ceremony of raising the flag over the diplomatic mission in the metropolitan area of ​​Abu Rumman.   "The resumption of diplomatic relations between our fraternal countries will allow them to jointly confront common challenges and, in particular, Turkish interference in the affairs of the Arab peoples," Mekdad said.   According to the diplomat, "the flags of other Arab states will soon be raised in the sky of Damascus."   On March 1, a memorandum was signed in Damascus on the resumption of diplomatic relations between Syria and Libya.   Both sides agreed "on coordinating foreign policy activities and joint steps to repulse Turkish aggression against the Syrian and Libyan peoples."   On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assa...

On Sunday, while speaking to London-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed and Lebanon-based Al-Mudun, Qatar’s foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, expressed his country’s indebtedness towards Turkey, especially for its support during the Arab boycott. Qatar faced economic blockade from the the regional powers, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, over its ties with terror groups including Brotherhood, Hamas (Brotherhood’s Palestinians wing) ISIS and Al Qaeda. Al Thani said, “Turkey has supported the people of Qatar in a very tough time when our neighbours acted against us and some other countries left us alone as a result of political pressure. Therefore, we will never forget this stance and we will side with them in the face of any difficulty." Al Thani told reporters, “Turkey is one of the leading countries that we prioritize our relations. We are in a consensus about many issues that we share the same political opinion on. One of them is to assist the Syria...

Syrian regime is not willing to take onus for the kind of atrocities they are meting on their civilian population including children. In a recent revelation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), it has been confirmed that indeed, Assad has been found guilty of a war crime and it has been condemned by Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and then PM of Britain Theresa May.  However, what is more alarming is that OPCW has shadowed important findings from the report after the chemical weapon attack at Douma. According to Wikileaks, there have been internal disagreements within the OPCW about how facts were misrepresented in a redacted version of a report on an (alleged) chemical attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018. OPCW represents 193 member states around the world and works to keep a hawk’s eye on the use of chemical weapons across the globe. According to OPCW reports, multiple source findings were made to confirm barrel bombs had been used to...