Qatar is stepping in temporarily to help the new Palestinian unity government pay former employees of Hamas’s disbanded Gaza government, an official said in Ramallah yesterday. Qatar said it would contribute a total of $60mn while the Palestinian Authority grapples with a pay row, the first challenge for a government formed to try to end years of Palestinian rivalry. Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah “received a phone call from the Qatari Prime Minister (HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Naser bin Khalifa al-Thani), who told him that $20mn would be transferred each month for three months to pay Gaza employees,” government spokesman Ihab Bseiso said in a statement.
Pledge to fight human trafficking
The State of Qatar has confirmed that it will continue its efforts at the legislative, institutional and awareness levels to combat human trafficking and that it had adopted an Arab initiative to build national capacities to contribute to international efforts aimed to combat the phenomenon. This came in a speech delivered by Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva Faisal bin Abdullah al-Henzab before the 26th session of the Human Rights Council on the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
Hospitals see 2,700 heat exhaustion cases
More than 2,700 cases were reported at the Emergency Departments of Hamad Hospital and Al Wakra and Al Sadd paediatric hospitals due to heat wave and dusty winds on Thursday, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported. The Ministry of Interior has advised motorists to be cautious of the low visibility due to dusty winds, especially on highways. Health officials have also advised people, especially those with respiratory problems, to avoid exposure to open areas as far as possible.