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Dominic Raab calls for ceasefires to enable Covid vaccinations

UK foreign secretary tells UN there is a moral duty to protect people in conflict zones
Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, is to ask for ceasefires to be implemented in conflict zones so local populations can be vaccinated against coronavirus, arguing that the world has “a moral duty to act”.
The British minister is to chair a meeting of the UN’s security council in an effort to persuade members to agree a resolution calling for locally negotiated ceasefires in areas such as Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
“Global vaccination coverage is essential to beating coronavirus,” Raab will say at the meeting, reflecting concerns that wherever the disease is unchecked it could increase the likelihood of vaccine-resistant strains emerging.
But while charities welcomed the UK’s initiative, they called on wealthy countries to consider going further. Sam Nadel, Oxfam’s head of policy and advocacy, warned that the poorest countries enduring conflict risked not getting any vaccines without “a massive increase” in global production.
Nadel called on the British government to “unblock the supply problem by insisting vaccine science and knowhow is no longer treated as the private property of a handful of pharmaceutical corporations but shared with qualified manufacturers around the world”.
Last week the UK government came under criticism for refusing to halt the supply of bombs and missiles to Saudi Arabia that could be used in the war in Yemen, after the incoming Biden administration declared it would suspend such arms sales.
The UK estimates that about 160 million people are at risk of otherwise being excluded from vaccination programmes. “We have a moral duty to act, and a strategic necessity to come together to defeat this virus,” the minister is expected to add.
Ceasefires have been negotiated in the past to allow emergency vaccinations. In Afghanistan, in 2000 and 2001, warring factions agreed to stop fighting to allow over 10 million children to be vaccinated against polio, which remained prevalent in the country.
Wednesday’s meeting has been called by the UK, which holds the monthly rotating presidency of the 15-strong UN body. It will also hear complaints from other member countries that not enough has been done to share Covid-19 vaccines fairly around the world.
According to research from Duke University’s Global Health Innovation Center, high income countries have ordered 4.2bn doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, while the poorest countries have secured 670m. Britain has ordered 407m doses, about four times the size of its adult population.
Mexico’s foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said his country would highlight the inequality of vaccine availability across Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The countries that produce
The UK said before the meeting that it wanted to support “equitable access” to the vaccines, and wants greater cooperation to help poorer countries with vaccine storage and managing the complex supply chains required to produce doses.
It also wants more countries and other donors to contribute funding to the Covax initiative, which aims to allow 92 low or middle-income countries to buy vaccines in a bloc using money provided by wealthy countries. Despite recent cuts in the overseas aid budget, the UK has given £548m to the programme.
Formally, the UN discussion will review whether any progress has been made since last July, when the security council passed a resolution calling for a global ceasefire to tackle the pandemic.
That was sought by the UN secretary general, António Guterres, but only passed following several months of wrangling between the US and China. Critics said so far it has had very limited discernible impact on conflicts around the world, while new ones, such as the autumn war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, have flared.
source: Dan Sabbagh
Levant
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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