Mumbai Princes Threatens Male Editors World Lady Editor for Evening Post!!! First Lady to edit a UAE English Daily Saira Menezes, the Sunday Mid-Day Editor, who has been with the Mumbai afternoon paper for over four years, will now be taking over as Editor of Emirates Evening Post. She moves to Dubai later this October. Confirming the news, Menezes said, “Emirates Evening Post is all set to re-launch itself and I have been given the responsibility to see through this change. (Photo courtesy : The Week) Currently, the paper targets the general public, but that is set to change. In fact, we will start from scratch and the new look paper will have no resemblance to the existing one.” The re-launched paper is set to hit the stands in the first week of December 2005 with new focus, format and new identity. With this, Menezes becomes the first female editor of any UAE publication. Associate Editor Alpa Lath Sawai will take over from Menezes as the new Editor of Sunday Mid-Day. " "A person entering journalism should do so with their eyes open. Unpredictability is part and parcel of our jobs," says Saira Menezes, editor, Sunday Mid Day, the Mumbai newspaper. "Three years ago," recalls Saira, "when we were working on a new look for our paper, we were at work by 10 am. We would leave the next morning around 3 am. We would rest for a few hours, then be back at work. This went on for eight months," she was quoted in Rediff.com "Normally work moves at a smooth pace. The week starts off gradually, then picks up momentum as the weekend draws near. My weekends are always spent at the workplace," adds Saira. The Week introduced her in these words: "She is an all-rounder. She has written on subjects ranging from films and fashion to the travails of ordinary folk. "Writing keeps me going," says Saira Menezes, 32, the executive editor of Sunday Mid Day. She started out in The Times of India ten years ago. The sprightly graduate in English then shifted to Savvy and later to The Sunday Observer. She then joined a news-magazine as special correspondent. At 28, she returned to Savvy, as editor, the youngest to head a women's magazine in India. The next move was to Mid Day Saira's father, former chief librarian of Blitz encouraged her love for the written word. "Iraqi slurs Saudi official: 'Bedouin riding a camel' Alshowaikh Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking ANOTHER HIGH-LEVEL APPOINTMENT BY BIsB The Bahrain Islamic Bank (BIsB) has announced yet another high-level appointment within the top management team. Mr. Faisal Alshowaikh, who has recently joined the BIsB, has been appointed as Director, Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking.A spokesman for the Bank has said that the new appoint is part in a series of placements aimed at enhancing the Bank's management team and attracting highly qualified Bahraini capabilities.Mr. Alshowaikh has over 21 years of banking experience during which he held several senior positions in various financial institutions in London and Bahrain, including KPMG, Schlumberger, Sterling Software Inc., Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait (BBK),Gulf International Bank (GIB), Standard Chartered Bank, and most recently Arab Banking Corporation (ABC) where he was Vice President responsible for developing business for the bank in Saudi Arabia. A graduate from the United Kingdom, he holds a BA Degree in Accounting and Finance from Manchester Metropolitan University and is also a fellow member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountant.In welcoming Mr. Alshowaikh, BIsB's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Yousif Saleh Khalaf, has reaffirmed the Bank's commitment to attract well experienced Bahraini's such as Mr. Alshowaikh to BIsB.Explaining the bank's three-year ambitious strategic plan, Mr. Khalaf said: "Our new strategy focuses on several initiatives at the foremost of which will be to enhance our infrastructure in terms of human resources and information technology". "I am confident that with targeted capabilities, the Bahrain Islamic Bank will go a step further to continue its role as the leading Islamic bank in the Kingdom of Bahrain".On his part, Faisal Alshowaikh expressed his satisfaction in joining the BIsB's family and his appreciation for the warmth welcome given to him. In his two decades of association with banking and finance, this is the first time that he has joined an Islamic bank. "Islamic banking has become not only a growing industry but also a real alternative to conventional banking", he said. The Bahrain Islamic Bank is the first Shariah compliant commercial financial institution in Bahrain and the third of its kind in the Arabian Gulf Region. The Bank is a member of the International Association of Islamic Banks.With a high percentage of more than 98% Bahrainization, the Bank is one of the leading Islamic and traditional banks providing employment opportunities for qualified Bahrainis. GULF AIR SIGNS UP WITH HSBC WARATAHS Bahrain, Manama: Gulf Air has become the official international carrier of the HSBC Waratahs. The sponsorship deal is a first for Gulf Air in Australia since commencing daily services to Sydney in November 2003. “Gulf Air and the Waratahs are a perfect fit,” said Gulf Air General Manager Australia and South Pacific Cramer Ball.“The Waratahs are our first major Australian sports sponsorship and they have an enormous following both here and overseas.“We are delighted to be the Waratahs’ international airline partner for their development tour of the Middle East, Europe and Russia.” NSW Chief Executive Officer Fraser Neill said Gulf Air would play an important part in the development of the game. “The partnership allows us to maintain our development programme, which includes the end of year tour,” he said. “Gulf Air will take us to the places we need to go to play competitive second tier countries. This will not only assist us in building a strong Super 14 squad, it will also improve the game in the regions we visit.” NSW head coach Ewen McKenzie, who will lead the 30-man squad, said the development tour strikes the right balance between Rugby and life experience. “We came away from last year’s tour of Argentina with a strong spirit and clear direction for the following season,” he said. “We developed the latest Wallabies like Al Kanaar and Lachlan MacKay as well as Super 12 rookies like Wycliff Palu. It also fostered the leadership skills of Adam Freier and Morgan Turinui. So the tour has very real benefits for Australian Rugby not just NSW.” The Gulf Air Development Tour will take the Waratahs through Bahrain on the way to Europe where a thriving rugby community exists. “We will be very proud to showcase Gulf Air’s award winning and legendary Arabian hospitality when the team travel to Bahrain and beyond,” said Mr Ball. “The growth of rugby internationally and in Australia, particularly with the new Super 14 competition, mirrors our growth and expansion in Australia and abroad.” The team arrives in Bahrain on October 4, two days after the Tooheys New Cup Grand Final. Mini & Colts rugby training and coaching clinics will be held at the American Express Bahrain Rugby Football Club on the same day, followed by a Gents and Ladies Dinner with the Waratahs! Tickets for this "Dinner with the Stars" cost BD18 per person and are available from the club. Waratahs Itinerary October 4 4.30pm Mini & Colts training session 6.15pm Waratahs Exhibition training session 8pm Gents & Ladies Dinner with the Almighty Waratahs tickets BD18 October 5 4pm Waratahs Training Session 6pm Heineken Touch Rugby with the Waratahs 7.30pm Presentation 8.15pm Depart Bahrain for Prague Caption: At the sponsorship announcement are, from left, Gulf Air reservations consultant Amal Moussa, Waratahs player Chris Whitaker, Mr Ball, Waratahs player Lote Tuqiri and Gulf Air marketing executive Sundip Bedi LEBANON: Palestinian refugees complain they are second class citizens. BEIRUT, 2 Oct 2005 (IRIN) - Rajah, a mother of four living in the Shatila refugee camp in the heart of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, dreams of going back to Palestine.“My dream is to go home. This place is terrible,” she said referring to the dilapidated refugee camp, which the UN says houses 12,000 Palestinians. “We don’t have anything here and my children suffer. They are ill and I can’t get proper health care. My husband does construction work, but he is also off work because he is ill, so we have to beg and borrow,” she said with a big sigh. Aid workers say that part of the problem is that the rights of 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon are restricted. They are not allowed to own land and they are legally barred from many of the country’s best paid jobs. A walk around Shatila camp, which adjoins the sprawling and downtrodden Sabra neighbourhood of Beirut, is testament to the misery that many Palestinians living in Lebanon have to endure. People are forced to brush past the exposed electricity wires and water pipes that protrude into Shatila’s narrow streets. And the stench of sewage is everywhere under the hot midday sun. “Many people have been electrocuted because of this and some have died,” Rajah said referring to the exposed wires. There are some 400,000 Palestinian refugees registered in Lebanon with the UN Relief Works Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and about half of them still live in camps, although not all of them are as bad as Shatila. The first wave arrived over half a century ago when the first Arab-Israeli war erupted in 1948. About half of the Palestinian refugees still live in camps, and although not all are as bad as Shatila, aid workers say the the Palestinians face worse conditions in Lebanon than in neighbouring Jordan and Syria, where they are well integrated and have better facilities. “They have few labour and property rights,” said Hoda Samra Souaiby, a spokeswoman for UNRWA in Beirut. “There are many areas in which Palestinians are deprived,” “NO RIGHTS” Palestinian refugees have been denied the right to own property since 2001, when a decree was issued saying that Palestinians were not allowed to own homes in the country. The government said it passed the law to support of the right of return of Palestinians. However, given the continuing tense security situation in Israel and areas governed by the Palestinian Authority, aid workers believe that conditions are not conducive for their early return. “The real problem is that Palestinians are being dealt with on a security basis and not a humanitarian one. We have to organise Lebanese-Palestinians on the basis of respecting international laws that stipulate a refugee should be treated as an equal citizen but without the citizenship,” said Ghassan Abdallah, the Palestinian Human Rights Organisation in Beirut. “Here they applied the second part regarding nationality and forgot about equality,” he added. “This is a real nightmare for them,” Souaiby stressed. RESTRICTIVE LABOUR LAW Until mid-2005, a total of 72 professions were restricted to Lebanese only, including all the high profile jobs such as medicine and law. This left very few job opportunities for the Palestinians and other migrant communities. The situation improved, on paper at least, on 7 June, when the government issued a memorandum allowing Palestinian refugees to work in 50 of the 72 professions previously reserved for Lebanese, but they are still barred from several high-ranking ones, such as medicine and law. And according to the Palestinians themselves there is still deep-rooted discrimination. “A young man trained at one of our social centres in Shatila camp in IT applied for a job in three Lebanese companies, but was turned away,” said Ahmed Halimeh of Popular Aid for Relief and Development (PARD), a Lebanese NGO that helps displaced people. “Employers said they would not employ him because he is not Lebanese,” he added. The teenager in question has now opted to open a computer shop in the refugee camp instead. “The Palestinians are traditionally only employed in low wage and daily labour jobs, this is something which we cannot change easily,” Halimeh complained . Abdallah, at the Palestinian Human Rights Organisation, maintained that despite the June memo allowing refugees into more professions, the situation remained much the same. “The truth is nothing much has changed on the ground, they still can't work as lawyers or doctors, and so most Palestinian workers continue to work the same way they did before and without the legal cover,” he said. UNRWA is not mandated to provide legal protection to refugees. “We do however, advocate with officials from a humanitarian point of view,” the UNRWA spokeswoman noted. A TRAGIC HISTORY Sabra and Shatila are in the poorest areas in Beirut and are now mainly home to Palestinians, although some Syrians and some Lebanese gypsies also live there. Both settlements were originally established in the 1950s to accommodate Palestinians fleeing the war in the Occupied Territories. Walking into Shatila, there is a memorial square where people killed in the refugee massacre of 16 September 1982 are buried. Now known as Martyrs Square, the ground is a memorial place with graphic photos of dead bodies of women and children. The slaughter of hundreds, some say thousands, of Palestinians, was committed by the Phalangists, a right wing Christian militia that was allied to the Israelis during their occupation of Beirut in 1982. The Phalangists carried out the killings in revenge for the murder of their leader, Bashir Gemayel shortly before he was due to be sworn in as President of Lebanon. They believed Gemayel had been killed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and entered the camp looking for its members. There is no official death toll for the massacre that ensued, but estimates range between 800 and 3,500. Today, although the camp is peaceful, there are still bitter memories. “I buried people here, we covered the bodies with metal sheets and then earth so that they would not be eaten by animals,” Halimeh said referring to the spot where three brothers died together during the fighting. Shatila also came under attack from Lebanon’s Shi’ite Amal militia in 1986. Although there is peace now, conditions in the camp have deteriorated. “It’s a hopeless situation here now,” said Jamile Ibrahim Shehade, the head of one of 12 social centres in the camp. “There are 15,000 people living in one square kilometre,”The centre she runs provides basic facilities such as a dental clinic and a nursery for children. It receives assistance from Norwegian People’s Aid and the Lebanese NGO, PARD. “This whole area was nothing before the camps were here and there has been very little done in terms of building infrastructure,” Shehade explained. Continued misery in camps has taken a heavy psychological toll on the residents of Sabra and Shatila, aid workers there say. Tempers run high as a result of frustration from the daily grind in the decrepit housing complex. According to a 1999 survey by the local NGO Najdeh (Help), 29 percent of 550 women surveyed in seven of the 12 official refugee camps scattered across Lebanon, had endured physical violence. Aid workers also warn that drug abuse is increasing in the refugee communities. They say hashish and cocaine consumption is rising fast. ASSISTANCE IN CAMPS LIMITED Countrywide, UNRWA runs 87 schools and 25 primary health care centres that cater for the refugee population. However, these barely cover the Palestinians’ basic needs and many communities are still without electicity and a reliable source of clean drinking water. “Schools are doing double shifts and electricity and water are still very problematic,” Shehade said. Health services for the Palestinians leave much to be desired, although there is collaboration between UNRWA and the Lebanese Ministry of Health in some fields like the treatment of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients, the control of outbreaks of infectious diseases and the provision of vaccines used in national immunisation campaigns. “Palestine refugees are not treated at the expense of the Lebanese government,” Souaiby said.	October 4, 2005 Dubai Municipality, Microsoft long term agreement -U.S., Oman Reach Free Trade Agreement -Security talks between Iran & Oman -Oman FM plays down fears of Iran influence Saudi Prince Conquers Murdoch's Media Empire Prince Alwaleed to participate in Media Seminar Dubai – UAE: HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saoud, Kingdom Holding Company Chairman will participate in the Forum to be held in Dubai under the theme, ‘Arab & World Media Forum - Getting it Right’ on 5th and 6th of December, 2005.HRH the Prince will address the conference, organized by the Arab Thought Foundation and Dubai Press Club, alongside leading international personalities from media, political and economic fields. Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, member of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Thought Foundation and the Head of Organizing Committee, said: “HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s participation is an important addition to the guest speakers' list, considering HRH is considered one of the most significant economic figures in the Arab world. His vast experiences in the media field will contribute in exploring the role and effects of mass communication, as well as ways of developing it.” He added: “HRH the Prince had confirmed his participation at an early stage in the conference due to his belief in the importance of the issues set for discussion in the conference agenda and his faith in the role that the Arab media plays in rectifying the Arab image in the global public opinion. Another of HRH’s objectives in participating is to contribute to the conference’s goal of enhancing and encouraging the process of investment and development, and dealing with the obstacles that this process might face.” Prince Bandar confirmed that the main speakers’ contributions, such as HRH Prince Alwaleed, will help enrich the discussion which will deal with vital issues concerning the world media, including the connection between Arab and international media, and the role of media in shaping public opinion; especially as Prince Alwaleed owns significant investments in the media field and is continuously involved with the ongoing developments that the various mass communication channels witness. Prince Al Waleed bin Talal is considered one of the world’s most prominent and wealthiest figures, as he owns huge investments in a range of sectors and fields, including shares in the Arab and Western worlds’ largest media corporations. The most significant of these is Rotana Sound & Visual Systems Corporation which owns and produces 60% of all Arabic movies and 75% of Arabic music, and has a market share of 80%; HRH also owns 49% of the Lebanese TV satellite broadcasting channel LBC, as well as various percentages of Al-Diyar and Al-Nahar newspapers. In the Western world, Prince Al Waleed holds 49% shares of News Corp, the corporation that owns Fox TV, B Sky B TV, Star TV, 20th Century Fox studios, Harper Collins Company, as well as the newspapers New York Post, The Times, and The Sunday Times. HRH also holds shares in Times Warner Corporation, which owns numerous publications such as Time, People and Fortune magazines, and its sub-organizations include AOL, CNN and HBO. Alongside all this he also holds shares in the Walt Disney Entertainment company which owns the Disney Worlds in both Florida and Los Angeles in USA, as well as Disneyland Paris and the satellite TV channel, ABC. It is worthy of mention that the Arab and World Media Forum represents a vital platform for the discussion of various issues concerning media in the Arab world. The participation of distinguished Arab and global figures will place the spotlight on the opportunities and challenges facing media in the Arab region, as well as ways to galvanize its role in setting and influencing the global public opinion on various issues. Calicut University Confers Doctorate for UAE Education Minister DUBAI – The UAE Minister of Education H.H. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan will be adding a doctorate degree to his profile. The Minister has been conferred an honorary doctorate by Calicut University, a leading University in Kerala. According to Professor Syed Iqbal Hasnain, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calicut, this is first time in the history of the University that a foreign dignitary has been conferred a honorary a degree of doctor. The crucial decision has been taken by the University Syndicate, which met on 30th September. “A special convocation will be held to give him the doctorate and the symbolic gesture is part of the University effort to strengthen relation between the State of Kerala and the UAE. “The UAE Education minister is given the honorary doctorate in view of his role in developing educational infrastructure in the country, where a large number of Keralites work and live,” he reasoned. Reiterating that the doctorate degrees were conferred to many eminent personalities within India, it is the first time that the degree is given to a UAE minister. The Vice Chancellor reiterated that the decision is not to pamper the UAE minister with a degree, but recognition for his contribution in developing education in the UAE. “We are in the process of developing new cultural exchange programmes with the UAE Universities like the Higher Colleges of Technology to exchange faculty members and students,” the vice chancellor, an eminent scholar from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi said. Mr. Nahyan was on a weeklong visit to India starting August 24, 2005. He visited Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin. H.H. Sheikh Nahyan met the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and with Chief Ministers and Ministers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. According to the Vice Chancellor, UAE has been known as a trading and commercial center for decades. The Minister has shown keen interest to develop the Emirate as a hub for higher education and learning. Impressed with the rapid progress and technological advancement in various colleges that he visited recently Prof. Iqbal said some of the Universities, especially the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), have world class infrastructure for imparting knowledge. He added that some private NRIs might be interested in setting up educational institutions in the UAE, which may offer quality education at affordable rate. HCT has been looking towards Indian Universities and technical institutes to enhance cooperation in various fields. Admitting that the cost of setting up an educational institution in the Knowledge Village is very high. “There is an understanding that the Indian Universities can offer best education at a reasonable cost. Most of the universities from the USA and UK are highly expensive and the ordinary people cannot afford to study there. Because the cost of operation is high and teachers are hired with high salary, these Universities cannot run their business without charging high fees,” he said, about the Universities long term plans in the UAE. “Only a handful of western universities maintain world class standards and the Calicut University standard matches some of the good learning centers around the world,” he claimed. “Indian Universities can offer reasonable educational package to the UAE, especially for the NRI youth who have to leave the country seeking education back home. “The prominent American and British Universities are highly expensive for a middle class or upper middle class NRI family,” he said. Some of the Universities in Knowledge Village have wound up operation due to these reasons. 13 Dead in Train Accident Six coaches of the Bundelkhand Express (train No. 1108) derailed around 9 a.m. today at Datia, 73 kms. from Gwalior. The train was running from Varanasi to Gwalior. Of the six coaches three coaches alongwith the engine have capsized. According to the information received from the site of accident, 13 persons are reported dead and 35 injured. Out of 35 injured, three were shifted to Gwalior one to Jhansi and rest in Civil Hospital Datia. Senior officials along with a team of doctors from Jhansi and Agra rushed to the site soon after the accident. The Minister of Railways Shri Lalu Prasad, who is in Patna, is constantly monitoring the relief and rescue efforts. The Railway Minister has announced compensation of Rs. 5 lakh including ex-gratia to the next of kin of dead. An enquiry will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety. The Minister of State for Railways Shri Naranbhai J. Rathwa, Chairman, Railway Board Shri J.P. Batra alongwith senior officials of the Railways are rushing to the accident site. Stranded passengers in Datia have been cleared by buses to Gwalior. The Railways have set up special helplines at Jhansi, Gwalior Datia and Allahabad. The helpline Nos. are – Jhansi - 05197-2440441 / 05197-2449251 Gwalior – 0751-237100 / 0751-237884 Datia – 07522-237330 Allahabad – 0532-1072 (Emergency)   Pakistani Drug Smugglers Beheaded in Kuwait Four Pakistani nationals convicted of smuggling heroin were hanged in Kuwait on Sunday and their hooded corpses displayed in public. Mohammad Ahmad Khan, 33, Sayed Shah, 26, Faz Yusef, 32 and Abdulbaseer Ishaq, 50, were hanged inside the interior ministry in Kuwait City before dozens of spectators were allowed into the complex to view their bodies. The justice ministry said the four had been arrested in separate incidents in 2002 at Kuwait Airport for smuggling heroin with a total street value of about two million dollars. It said the men had swallowed capsules containing the drugs in an attempt to smuggle them into Kuwait. A total of six convicts have been hanged in the Gulf state this year. Authorities reintroduced public hangings in June 2002 following a steep rise in drug offences as a way to scare smugglers. Under Kuwaiti law, convicted drug traffickers face the death penalty. Kuwait has executed 36 people since the 1991 Gulf War, and a total of 60, including three women, since the first execution was carried out in the oil-rich emirate four decades ago, the majority of them for murder or drug trafficking. Thousands of civilians flee military offensive near Syrian border BAGHDAD, 2 October (IRIN) - Thousands of civilians have fled the Iraqi town of al-Qaim near the Syrian border following the start of a fresh US military offensive against insurgents in nearby villages, local government officials said on Sunday. They told IRIN that about 600 families had abandoned al-Qaim, a small town in the Euphrates river valley, since the offensive began on Saturday. The number of people displaced by the fighting was expected to increase rapidly, they added. Many of those fleeing by car and on foot from al-Qaim, 12 km from the Syrian border, said they were taken by surprise by the latest US-led offensive.The attack followed an earlier US-led military operation against Islamic militants linked to the Al Qaeda movement in the same area last May. "We were informed in advance before the last offensive against Al-Qaim and were able to prepare ourselves for it, but this one was a surprise to all of us," said Muhammad Rabia'a," a 43 year-old man who decided to clear out immediately with six members of his family. "I just took my family and ran from the town to keep them safe, without even knowing where to go," he added.A US military spokesman confirmed that this time no warning had been given. "If we had provided advance warning in this case it would have given the terrorists an opportunity to run away or further use the citizens as human shields," said Lieutenant Colonel Steven Boylan, a spokesman for the US-led coalition of military forces in Iraq. The Iraq Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said it was already taking action to help civilians displaced by the latest fighting in al-Qaim, which lies 320 km west of Baghdad. "We have started to prepare a convoy with supplies from our stores and medical supplies recently received by our organization which will be sent to the area as soon as possible" said IRCS spokeswoman Ferdous al-Abadi. Rami Massaibi, a senior doctor at the main hospital in al-Qaim, said the unit had admitted 15 injured and four dead people since the latest fighting began.He expressed fears that the hospital would be overwhelmed by an escalating number of casualties. "We are really worried about how large this military operation will become because our hospital cannot cope with so many patients due to a lack of essential emergency materials," Massaibi said. He also noted that the hospital was still dealing with many children who had been suffering from malnutrition since the previous US-led offensive in the area five months ago. The current military operation is code-named "Operation Iron Fist." Reuters and the Associated Press (AP) quoted US military officials as saying the offensive was focused on the nearby village of Sadah and involved about 1,000 US troops backed by attack helicopters. AP quoted US officials as saying that Sadah, a village of about 2,000 people, was being used as a way station for Al Qaeda militants being infiltrated into Iraq from abroad. The Iraqi government said the military operation, which was launched two weeks before a 15 October referendum on the country's new constitution, would continue until the authorities had regained total control of the situation. "We are just working to cleanse Iraq of terrorists who want to kill our families and children," said Abbas Didar, a senior official at the Ministry of Defence. "This operation will prevent them from affecting an important step in our history; voting in the referendum," he added. Boylan, the US military spokesman, said the main aim of Operation Iron Fist was; "securing the city (al-Qaim) and providing a secure environment prior to the upcoming constitutional referendum." Last month, the United Nations said a similar US-led offensive against insurgents in the northern city of Talafar led to over 16,000 people being displaced from their homes.