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Tuesday 21 February 2006 |
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MIDDLE EAST: Weekly round-up Number 48 for 11-17 November 2005[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]CONTENTS: EGYPT: Media coverage of election biased, experts say As the first of three rounds of voting in Egypt’s parliamentary election got underway on Wednesday, media coverage has been biased in favour of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), human rights experts said. Full report EGYPT: Parliamentary elections begin amid cautious hopes for change The first round of Egyptian parliamentary elections kicked off on Wednesday, with polling stations opening to voters in eight governorates. Full report EGYPT: Street children abandoned by the system It has been 10 years since Dalia ran away from her family in Manoufiya, in Egypt’s northern Delta region, and went to live in the fast-paced capital city of Cairo. Full report EGYPT: European Parliament reports violations in parliamentary race Several violations were observed during the first phase of Egypt’s parliamentary elections, the vice president of the European Union Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, said Full report EGYPT: Journalists reportedly harassed during parliamentary elections Thuggery against media workers is merely a reflection of the general political environment in Egypt, according to Ibrahim Mansour, member of the board of the Egyptian Press Syndicate. Full report EGYPT: NGOs react to stalled democracy summit An international summit in Bahrain aimed at promoting democracy in the Middle East ended inconclusively after Egyptian delegates and other Arab leaders defied the United States over a clause in the event’s outcome document relating to civil society freedoms. Full report EGYPT: Parliamentary runoffs marred by reports of violations Runoffs for the first phase of the Egyptian parliamentary elections ended on 15 November amid reports of election irregularities, from bribery to violence and voter intimidation, election monitors said. Full report IRAQ: Urgent assistance needed for al-Qaim displaced, aid workers say Thousands of displaced people from the towns of al-Qaim and Husaybah who have taken refuge in other parts of the western Anbar governorate are living in desperate conditions and in urgent need of assistance, relief workers said on Wednesday Full report IRAQ: Seasonal diseases wane thanks to healthcare improvement An improvement in healthcare in southern Iraq has led to a noticeable decrease in seasonal diseases such as cholera and malaria, local doctors and health officials said. Full report IRAQ: Ongoing violence sees rising concern for journalists’ safety The death of an Iraqi reporter in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul last week heightened fears among journalists, who are increasingly becoming targets for insurgents, they say Full report IRAQ: Displaced in the west need more The number of refugees fleeing the western Iraqi town of al-Qaim and surrounding villages in the wake of US-led military offensives launched earlier this month has reached some 100,000 persons, according to the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS). Full report IRAQ: Civilians continue to suffer from violence, displacement, UN Hundreds of Iraqi civilians were killed in September and October, while large parts of Iraq continue to experience a general breakdown of law and order, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) noted in its latest report on the state of human rights in the war-ravaged nation. Full report IRAQ: Arab League prepares for Iraq reconciliation conference Delegates of the 22-member Arab League met on Thursday in Cairo to discuss the proposed agenda for the upcoming Iraq reconciliation conference, scheduled to begin on November 19. Full report IRAQ: Rights groups urge transparency in prisoner abuse investigation International human rights organisations have appealed to the Iraqi government to proceed fairly and transparently with investigations into the alleged torture of 173 detainees found in a government building on 13 November Full report JORDAN: The fight against drug addiction reaches women Asma Badani (not her real name), 30, has been trying to overcome her heroin addiction since last year, but with little success Full report JORDAN: Aid agencies serving Iraq remain vigilant following bombings Aid agencies operating from the Jordanian, capital, Amman, that serve Iraq said they will remain vigilant and are in the process of discussing whether further security measures are needed following Wednesday’s bombs attacks. Full report JORDAN: Rights groups concerned over anti-terror draft laws New anti-terror legislation in Jordan, proposed in the wake of recent deadly terror attacks in the capital Amman, will serve to curtail civil liberties and will represent a step backwards in terms of democracy, a leading Jordanian rights group warned on Wednesday. Full report SYRIA: Workshops aim at female political empowerment Mekkeyeh Deghmi, 36, says it is particularly hard for a woman to enter politics in Syria. Full report SYRIA: UN investigators deadlocked over interrogation venue The Syrian foreign ministry failed to reach an agreement on Monday with UN investigators on a venue for the questioning of six Syrian officials allegedly involved in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Full report YEMEN: Sixth polio vaccination campaign launched amid new cases The Yemeni government launched the sixth nationwide vaccination campaign against polio on 12 November amid rising cases of the virus. Full report YEMEN: Eradicating FGM will be a slow process, experts say Nooria, 22, (pseudonym) from Lahj, a small city north of capital city Aden, was the only girl in her family subject to the practice known as female genital mutilation (FGM Full report YEMEN: Sex trade fuelled by poverty, study finds Sex workers in Yemen are often forced into the profession out of dire economic circumstances, according to a recent study published by a local NGO, the Women’s’ Forum for Research and Training (WFRT). Full report MIDDLE EAST: Grasp of humanitarian law crucial to relief work - MSF Understanding the language of humanitarian law is essential to effectively protect those most in need of assistance, relief workers said on Sunday. Full report [ENDS]
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