MIDDLE EAST: Weekly round-up Number 102 for 24 November - 30
November 2006
05 Dec 2006 12:00:26 GMT Source: IRIN
DUBAI, 5 December (IRIN) - CONTENTS:IRAQ: Um Khalid, Iraq "Men here believe they are immune to the disease"
IRAQ: New dam threatens agriculture and marshland
IRAQ: Travellers
use codes to stay safe
IRAQ: Sahar Ahmed, Iraq "We need to leave this country as soon as possible"
IRAQ: Fighting swords with pens
ISRAEL-OPT: For farmers, much of their land remains out of reachISRAEL-OPT: Wall creates Palestinian cultural divide
ISRAEL-OPT: Ghettos form in shadow of the wall
ISRAEL: Hundreds of thousands denied marriage
ISRAEL-OPT: Palestinian homes abandoned in flight
across Israel's wall
ISRAEL-LEBANON: Accident reveals newly laid Israeli mines
JORDAN: AIDS high-risk groups must be controlled, says senior official
JORDAN: Rights group calls for more protection for
Iraqi refugees
JORDAN: Fuheis residents suffer cement factory pollution
occ. Palestinian terr.: Gaza's teetering tower of debt
YEMEN: Number of boat refugees double last yearIRAQ: Um Khalid, Iraq
"Men here believe they are immune to the disease"Iraq has traditionally had one of the lowest incidences of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East. This started to slowly change after the US-led invasion in
2003 brought hundreds of foreigners into the country, opening the doors for the spread of the virus, health workers say.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56577 and SelectRegion=Middle_East
and SelectCountry=IRAQIRAQ: New dam threatens agriculture and marshlandAlarm bells rang last August at Khalifa Shawkat al-Yass' house as news spread of the construction of a massive dam on the
Tigris River in Turkey. As a farmer depending on the Tigris, fear of losing his livelihood has been a constant worry on his mind ever since.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56557 and
SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=IRAQIRAQ: Travellers use codes to stay safeBusinessman Abdallah Kammal, 52, arrived safely to his Baghdad home after a working trip abroad, but only
after following strict security precautions.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56560 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=IRAQIRAQ: Sahar Ahmed, Iraq "We need to leave this
country as soon as possible"Of the approximately 30,000 Palestinians who were registered in Iraq in 2003 by the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 are
left in the country, according to UNHCR and other organisations.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56534 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=IRAQIRAQ: Fighting swords with pensFreelance journalist Samir Khairallah, 31, walks a tight line between reporting the news and not becoming the news. With ongoing insurgent attacks and brutal sectarian violence plaguing the country,
he must be careful about what he writes and whose 'side' he is perceived to be on.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56515 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=IRAQISRAEL-OPT:
For farmers, much of their land remains out of reachIsrael began building a 703 km-long barrier through the West Bank in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2002. Much of it is an electric fence
but in heavily populated areas it becomes an eight-metre high concrete wall.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56581 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=ISRAEL-OPTISRAEL-OPT:
Wall creates Palestinian cultural divideIsrael began building an eight-metre high, 703 km-long concrete barrier through the West Bank in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2002. To date, some
670 km of it has been completed.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56562 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=ISRAEL-OPTISRAEL-OPT: Ghettos form in shadow of the wallIsrael
began building an eight-metre high, 703 km-long concrete barrier through the West Bank in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2002. To date, some 670 km of it has been completed.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56540 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=ISRAEL-OPTISRAEL: Hundreds of thousands denied marriageWhen Israeli couple Rinat and Roman Gerber
decided to get married, they knew their first stop would be a travel agency rather than their local synagogue or town hall.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56522 and
SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=ISRAELISRAEL-OPT: Palestinian homes abandoned in flight across Israel's wallIsrael began building an eight-metre high, 703 km-long concrete barrier
through the West Bank in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2002. To date, some 670 km of it has been completed.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56519 and SelectRegion=Middle_East
and SelectCountry=ISRAEL-OPTISRAEL-LEBANON: Accident reveals newly laid Israeli minesThe Israeli army sowed landmines in south Lebanon during its summer conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the
United Nations said on 25 November.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56513 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=ISRAEL-LEBANONJORDAN: AIDS high-risk groups must be controlled,
says senior officialDespite the low prevalence of AIDS in Jordan, the existence of vulnerable groups that could become infected with the virus and the difficulty in tracking them are the biggest
challenges for the country's new strategy on AIDS, a senior health official said.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56574 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=JORDANJORDAN:
Rights group calls for more protection for Iraqi refugeesA leading international human rights group on Tuesday called on Jordan to provide a Temporary Protection Regime (TPR) for the hundreds of
thousands of Iraqi refugees living in its territory.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56549 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=JORDANJORDAN: Fuheis residents suffer cement
factory pollutionOnce known to Jordanians as a beautiful town set in green mountains and with a pleasant climate, Fuheis is quickly losing its renown as it reels under clouds of dust and chemicals
emanating from the town's cement factory.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56514 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=JORDANocc. Palestinian terr.: Gaza's teetering tower of
debtAbu Khamis's credit book is seeing a lot of use these days. The scribbled notes account for 45,000 shekels (US$10,000) owed for goods he has advanced to his penniless customers.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56536 and SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=OPTYEMEN: Number of boat refugees double last yearTwice as many Somalis and Ethiopians crossed the
Gulf of Aden in September and October this year than the same period in 2006, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Monday.http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56542 and
SelectRegion=Middle_East and SelectCountry=YEMEN
