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‘Nothing left’: Catastrophic flooding overwhelms Pakistan

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‘Nothing left’: Catastrophic flooding overwhelms Pakistan

Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis affected by the worst flooding in a decade are in determined want of assist as authorities say they’ve been “overwhelmed” by the dimensions of the catastrophe, with the nation’s local weather minister calling it a “severe local weather disaster”.

The unprecedented monsoon season has affected all 4 provinces of the nation. Practically one million houses have been destroyed or badly broken, quite a few roads rendered impassable and electrical energy outages have been widespread, affecting a minimum of 33 million folks.

Rasheedan Sodhar needed to stroll greater than 20km (12 miles) to security after her village in southern Sindh province was submerged by water.

“We’re a household of 20, and we have been informed yesterday [Sunday] to instantly depart the village. We now have nothing left. We’re alive, however we aren’t capable of dwell any extra,” the 25-year-old instructor informed Al Jazeera, including that she couldn’t save her 30 livestock whereas her home was destroyed by the deluge.

Sodhar mentioned her whole household, with pregnant girls and infants, don’t have any shelter and reside within the open in scorching climate within the close by city of Mehar. “We barely get one meal a day. Our kids are crying all day. What are you able to inform them to cease crying when there isn’t a house for them,” she mentioned.

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Displaced households obtain meals and take refuge on a roadside after fleeing their flood-hit houses, on the outskirts of Peshawar [Mohammad Sajjad/AP Photo]

Lots of of 1000’s of individuals have been evacuated from flooded areas.

Some 180,000 folks have been evacuated from Charsadda and 150,000 from Nowshera district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial authorities, mentioned.

Many have been compelled to take shelter on roadsides.

Khaista Rehman, 55, took shelter along with his spouse and three youngsters on the facet of the Islamabad-Peshawar freeway after his house in Charsadda was submerged in a single day.

“Thank God, we’re protected now on this street fairly excessive from the flooded space,” he informed The Related Press information company.

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“Our crops are gone and our house is destroyed however I’m grateful to Allah that we’re alive and I’ll restart life with my sons.”

Support flights start arriving

Deaths from widespread flooding in Pakistan have reached 1,061 since mid-June, officers mentioned on Sunday, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday introduced a $45m reduction fund for the flood-hit Balochistan province.

“I noticed floodwater in every single place, wherever I went in latest days and even at the moment,” Sharif mentioned on Monday in Charsadda, one of many devastated cities. He mentioned the planes carrying assist from some nations have reached Pakistan as he anticipated extra within the coming days.

Sharif mentioned the federal government would offer housing to all those that misplaced their houses.

That is very removed from a standard monsoon – it’s local weather dystopia at our doorstep

by Sherry Rehman, the local weather minister

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The federal government has declared a nationwide emergency and appealed for worldwide assist. On Sunday, the primary assist flights arrived from Turkey and the UAE, carrying tents, meals and different every day requirements. Qatar Purple Crescent has additionally pledged emergency assist.

Vans carrying tents, meals, and water organized by Pakistan have been additionally being dispatched to numerous components of the nation by the Nationwide Catastrophe Administration Authority for tens of 1000’s of flood victims.

The United Nations will launch a global attraction for Pakistani flood victims on Tuesday in Islamabad, the nationwide capital.

Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as troopers and rescue staff evacuated stranded residents to the security of reduction camps and offered meals to 1000’s of displaced Pakistanis.

“What we see now could be an ocean of water submerging whole districts,” Local weather Minister Sherry Rehman informed the AFP information company on Monday.

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“That is very removed from a standard monsoon – it’s local weather dystopia at our doorstep.”

In a video posted on Twitter on Sunday Rehman mentioned Pakistan is experiencing a “severe local weather disaster, one of many hardest within the decade”.

Interactive_Pakistan_Floods_Aug29_2022
(Al Jazeera)

“We’re in the meanwhile on the floor zero of the entrance line of utmost climate occasions, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, a number of glacial lake outbursts, flood occasions and now the monster monsoon of the last decade is wreaking continuous havoc all through the nation,” she mentioned.

Overseas Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari mentioned on Sunday he hoped monetary establishments such because the Worldwide Financial Fund would take the financial fallout under consideration. The South Asian nation has been battling an financial disaster, dealing with excessive inflation, a depreciating foreign money and a present account deficit.

“I haven’t seen destruction of this scale, I discover it very troublesome to place into phrases … it’s overwhelming,” Zardari mentioned in an interview with the Reuters information company.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail earlier informed Al Jazeera that the floods have inflicted an estimated “lack of a minimum of $10bn” within the nation.

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A man wades through flood waters carrying his grand daughter in Charsadda.
A person wades via flood waters carrying his grand daughter on his again following rains and floods in the course of the monsoon season in Charsadda, Pakistan [Fayaz AzizAziz/Reuters]

‘All that’s completed’

Rehman informed Turkish information outlet TRT World that by the point the rains recede, “we might nicely have one-fourth or one-third of Pakistan below water”.

“That is one thing that could be a international disaster and naturally, we are going to want higher planning and sustainable improvement on the bottom … We’ll have to have local weather resilient crops in addition to constructions,” she mentioned.

This yr’s floods are similar to 2010 – the worst on report – when greater than 2,000 folks died and practically a fifth of the nation was below water.

A lot of Sindh is now an countless panorama of water, hampering a reduction operation.

“Our crop spanned over 5,000 acres on which the highest quality rice was sown and is eaten by you and us,” Khalil Ahmed, 70, informed AFP.

“All that’s completed.”

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Girls5eva Cancelled at Netflix

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Girls5eva Cancelled at Netflix


‘Girls5eva’ Cancelled at Netflix: No Season 4, Sara Bareilles



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Christmas trees in Germany were decorated with apples instead of ornaments in the 1600s for 'Adam and Eve Day'

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Christmas trees in Germany were decorated with apples instead of ornaments in the 1600s for 'Adam and Eve Day'

The choosing and decorating of a Christmas tree to display during the holiday season is a beloved tradition with a long history. 

Today, Christmas trees are often decorated with an array of ornaments, including glass ones, homemade creations, candy canes, tinsel and sparkling lights, but that was not always the case. There was a time in history when Christmas trees were adorned with edible items, including apples, to commemorate the feast of Adam and Eve on Dec. 24. 

Germany is credited with starting the tradition of the Christmas tree, according to History.com, with 16th century records telling of Christians bringing trees into their homes for the holiday. 

Christmas trees were not always decorated with a large array of ornaments. During the early days of the Christmas tree, they were instead covered in red apples. (iStock)

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT SOLD CHRISTMAS TREES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS ON HIS OWN ESTATE IN THE 1930S

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The Christmas tree has evolved over time, especially in the way in which it is decorated. 

In the 1600s, it was typical for a Christmas tree to be decorated using apples, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

The feast of Adam and Eve, held on Dec. 24, was honored by a “Paradise Play,” which told the story of Adam and Eve. 

The play featured a “Paradise Tree,” according to the website, The Catholic Company, which was decorated with apples.

Two juicy red apples in a warm summer evening.

Apples were placed on the “Paradise Tree” used in the play telling the story of Adam and Eve. (iStock)

HOW TO SAY ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ IN 10 LANGUAGES TO FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD

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It was popular in Germany to set up “Paradise Trees” in homes, according to several sources, including Britannica and CatholicProfiles.org. 

Then, in the 1700s, evergreen tips were hung from the ceilings of homes, also decorated with apples as well as gilded nuts and red paper strips, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

It was not until the 1800s that the Christmas tree made its way to the United States by German settlers, according to the source. 

Children hanging Christmas ornament

Today, families cover their Christmas trees in a variety of festive ornaments. (iStock)

 

At this time, Christmas trees were not the large displays they are now, and they simply sat atop a table, per the National Christmas Tree Association. 

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Then, in the mid-1800s, trees began to sell commercially in the U.S. By the late 1800s, glass ornaments became a common decoration for the Christmas tree, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. 

Today, every family has their own traditions and preferences when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree. 

Some go with a very complimentary design, sticking to a single or couple of colors. Others opt for a mix-matched arrangement, combining homemade ornaments with more classic ones, as well as colorful lights, ribbon and more. 

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Photos: Armenian Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City feel walls closing in

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Photos: Armenian Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City feel walls closing in

As Israel’s war on Gaza rages and Israeli attacks on people in the occupied West Bank continue, Armenian residents of the Old City of Jerusalem are fighting a different battle – quieter, they say, but no less existential.

One of the oldest communities in Jerusalem, the Armenians have lived in the Old City for more than 1,500 years, centred around the Armenian convent.

Now, the small Christian community has begun to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them and the multifaith character of the Old City – from Jewish settlers who jeer at clergymen on their way to prayer to a land deal threatening to turn a quarter of their land into a luxury hotel.

A member of the Armenian clergy uses a wood hammer to call for the daily afternoon prayer service at St James Cathedral. [Francisco Seco/AP Photo]

Chasms have emerged between the Armenian Patriarchate and the mainly secular community, whose members worry the church is not equipped to protect their dwindling population and embattled convent.

In the Armenian Quarter is Save the Arq’s headquarters, a structure with reinforced plywood walls hung with ancient maps inhabited by Armenians who are there to protest what they see as an illegal land grab by a real estate developer.

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The land under threat is where the community holds events and also includes parts of the patriarchate itself.

Israel Armenian Christians
An Armenian activist pets a dog in a parking area known by locals as Cows Garden, which has been leased for a luxury hotel. [Francisco Seco/AP Photo]

After years of the patriarchate refusing to sell any of its land, Armenian priest Baret Yeretsian secretly “leased” the lot in 2021 for up to 98 years to Xana Capital, a company registered just before the agreement was signed.

Xana turned more than half the shares to a local businessman, George Warwar, who has been involved in various criminal offences.

Community members were outraged.

The priest fled the country and the patriarchate cancelled the deal in October, but Xana objected and the contract is now in mediation.

Xana has sent armed men to the lot, the activists say, attacking people, including clergy, with pepper spray and batons.

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The activists say Warwar has the backing of a prominent settler organisation seeking to expand the Jewish presence in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Israel Armenian Christians
An Armenian Christian priest walks in the main square of the Armenian Quarter. [Francisco Seco/AP Photo]

The organisation, Ateret Cohanim, is behind several controversial land acquisitions in the Old City, and its leaders were photographed with Warwar and Xana Capital owner Danny Rothman, also known as Danny Rubinstein, in December 2023. Ateret Cohanim denied any connection to the land deal.

Activists filed suit against the patriarchate in February, seeking to have the deal declared void and the land to belong to the community in perpetuity.

The patriarchate refused, saying it owns the land.

Armenians began arriving in the Old City as early as the fourth century with a large wave arriving in the early 20th century, fleeing the Ottoman Empire. They have the same status as Palestinians in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem – residents but not citizens, effectively stateless.

Israel Armenian Christians
An Armenian resident sits at the main square of the Armenian Quarter. [Francisco Seco/AP Photo]

Today, the newcomers are mainly boys who arrive from Armenia to live and study in the convent although many drop out. Clergy say that’s partially because attacks against Christians have increased, leaving the Armenians – whose convent is closest to the Jewish Quarter and is along a popular route to the Western Wall – vulnerable.

Father Aghan Gogchyan, the patriarchate’s chancellor, said he’s regularly attacked by groups of Jewish nationalists.

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The Rossing Center, which tracks anti-Christian attacks in the Holy Land, documented about 20 attacks on Armenian people and property and church properties in 2023, many involving ultranationalist Jewish settlers spitting at Armenian clergy or graffiti reading “Death to Christians” scrawled on the quarter’s walls.

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