本集介紹

2021.07.17 國際新聞導讀-俄羅斯普丁總統向烏克蘭人喊話要求斯拉夫人團結、世衛組織表示東地中海地區疫情不佳、德國洪水造成大量人命與財產損傷

kraine is not an alien state for us. This is a part of our history, and the inhabitants of Ukraine are a part of our people. That is why our heart hurts so much because of what's going on with our neighbors. Ukraine is deliberately made into Anti-Russia, forcing Russian Ukrainians to renounce their history and our unity. Vladimir Putin wrote an article on Russian-Ukrainian relations, and published it in two languages which ​​are native to Ukrainian residents - Russian and Ukrainian.
"Here we are not talking about the intersection of our paths, but about the interconnection and interweaving of the fate of the millions of people who live on the territory of today's Ukraine and today's Russia. These are the historical entanglements, the spiritual entanglements of our peoples that have developed for centuries".
It is obvious to Putin and anyone who knows and understands our history: for centuries we have been a single nation, so the artificial creation of an anti-Russian outpost from Ukraine contradicts our common interests. Most residents of Ukraine understand this, but they are under unprecedented pressure to distort national identity, to renounce the Russian language. But in history there were already moments when we were artificially separated by external forces, but we found the strength to unite again. After all, our strength is in unity!
德國洪水造成 103 名遇難者，超過 1,000 人失踪 - 觀看
德國諾因阿爾-阿爾韋勒地區有 1000 多人失踪。人們擔心會發生進一步的洪水。
通過路透
2021 年 7 月 16 日 13:18


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2021 年 7 月 16 日，比利時列日市遭受重災。（圖片來源：EFE）
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 由於另一座大壩的潰壩迫在眉睫，週五德國西部擔心進一步洪水氾濫，死亡人數上升至 100 多人，這是德國多年來最嚴重的大規模生命損失。
在北萊茵-威斯特法倫州和萊茵蘭-普法爾茨州的城鎮和村莊中，洪水氾濫後，整個社區都成了廢墟。
“苦難不斷增加，”萊茵蘭-普法爾茨省省長馬魯·德雷爾告訴 ZDF 廣播公司，並補充說僅在她所在的州就有 50 多人死於洪水。
她說，基礎設施已被完全摧毀，重建將花費大量時間和金錢。
區政府在 Facebook 上說，在鄰近的北萊茵-威斯特法倫州，科隆以南的 Ahrweiler 區約有 1,300 人失踪。
在一些受洪水影響的地區，移動電話網絡已經崩潰，這意味著家人和朋友無法找到親人。
科隆地區政府在 Facebook 上說，再往北，在科隆附近的 Erftstadt，房屋在周五早上倒塌，救援人員正在努力幫助那些不顧警告返回家園的居民。
它說許多人仍在房子裡，有幾個人失踪了。瓦斯洩漏進一步阻礙了救援人員試圖乘船救助被困人員。
Erftstadt 周圍的道路被洪水沖毀，無法通行。
靠近比利時邊境的一座大壩 Rurtalsperre 在一夜之間被洪水淹沒，而另一座位於 Ahrweiler 和 Erftstadt 之間的 Steinbachtalsperre 則不穩定。該國部分地區的幾座大壩已經決堤。
此次死亡人數是自 1962 年導致約 340 人死亡的致命北海洪水以來德國所有自然災害中最高的。1998 年高速 ICE 火車相撞，造成 101 人死亡。
2002 年易北河的洪水在當時被媒體稱為“百年一遇的洪水”，在德國東部造成 21 人死亡，在更廣泛的中歐地區造成 100 多人死亡。
北萊茵-威斯特法倫州議會將於週五就洪水問題召開緊急會議。
德國內政部長 Horst Seehofer 告訴 Spiegel 雜誌，聯邦政府旨在盡快為受影響地區提供財政支持，並補充說一攬子措施應於週三提交內閣批准。
Floods in Germany claim 103 victims, more than 1,000 missing - watch
More than 1,000 people were missing in the Neuenahr-Ahrweiler region in Germany. Further flooding is feared.
By REUTERS
JULY 16, 2021 13:18


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Belgium's city of Liège hard hit by heavy floods, July 16, 2021. (Credit: EFE)
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 Further flooding was feared in western Germany on Friday as a breach at another dam loomed and the death toll rose to more than 100 in what is Germany's worst mass loss of life in years.
Entire communities lay in ruins after swollen rivers swept through towns and villages in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
"The suffering just keeps increasing," Rhineland-Palatinate premier Malu Dreyer told broadcaster ZDF, adding that more than 50 people had died as a result of the floods in her state alone.
Infrastructure has been destroyed completely, and rebuilding will cost a lot of time and money, she said.
In neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia, around 1,300 people were missing in the Ahrweiler district south of Cologne, the district government said on Facebook.
Mobile phone networks have collapsed in some of the flood-stricken regions, which means that family and friends are unable to track down their loved ones.
Further north, in Erftstadt near Cologne, houses collapsed on Friday morning and rescue crews were struggling to help residents who had returned to their homes despite warnings, the Cologne district government said on Facebook.
It said many people were still in the houses and several were missing. A gas leak was further hampering rescue workers as they tried to reach stranded people by boat.
Roads around Erftstadt were impassable as they were washed out in the floods.
One dam close to the Belgian border, the Rurtalsperre, was flooded overnight while another, the Steinbachtalsperre between Ahrweiler and Erftstadt, was unstable. Several dams in parts of the country have already burst.
The death toll is the highest of any natural catastrophe in Germany since a deadly North Sea flood in 1962 that killed around 340 people. The crash of a high-speed ICE train in 1998 killed 101 people.
Floods at the Elbe river in 2002, which at the time were billed by media "once-in-a-century floods", killed 21 people in eastern Germany and more than 100 across the wider central European region.
The North Rhine-Westphalia parliament will hold an emergency meeting on the floods on Friday.
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told magazine Spiegel that the federal government aimed to provide financial support for the affected regions as quickly as possible, adding a package of measures should go to the cabinet for approval on Wednesday.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 
路透社記者在報導阿富汗軍隊與塔利班之間的衝突時被殺
自本週早些時候以來，西迪基一直在阿富汗南部坎大哈省的特種部隊擔任記者。
通過路透
2021 年 7 月 16 日 23:13


2021 年 7 月 10 日，阿富汗赫拉特省郊區，前聖戰者組織手持武器支持阿富汗軍隊打擊塔利班。
（圖片來源：JALIL AHMAD/REUTERS）
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一名阿富汗指揮官說，路透社記者丹麥西迪基週五在報導阿富汗安全部隊與塔利班武裝分子在與巴基斯坦邊境附近發生的衝突時被殺。
這位官員告訴路透社，當西迪基和一名阿富汗高級官員在他們所謂的塔利班交火中喪生時，阿富汗特種部隊一直在為奪回斯平博爾達克的主要市場區域而戰。
因為在本週早些時候與總部設在南部坎大哈省的阿富汗特種部隊西迪基被嵌入作為一名記者，並已在上報爭取阿富汗突擊隊和塔利班戰士之間。
“我們正在緊急尋求更多信息，與該地區當局合作，”路透社總裁邁克爾弗里登伯格和總編輯亞歷山德拉加洛尼在一份聲明中說。
“丹麥人是一位出色的記者，一位忠誠的丈夫和父親，一位深受愛戴的同事。在這個可怕的時刻，我們與他的家人同在。”
阿富汗總統阿什拉夫·加尼在推特上發表聲明說，他對西迪基去世的令人震驚的報導“深感悲痛”，並向他的家人表示哀悼。
西迪基告訴路透社，他週五早些時候在報導衝突時被彈片擊傷了手臂。他接受了治療，塔利班戰士後來從 Spin Boldak 的戰鬥中撤退。
阿富汗指揮官說，當塔利班再次發動襲擊時，西迪基一直在與店主交談。
路透社無法獨立核實阿富汗軍方官員所描述的重新戰鬥的細節，在阿富汗國防部發表聲明之前，他要求不具名。
塔利班發言人 Zabihullah Mujahid 說，塔利班不知道有一名記者從現場報導了他所說的“激烈戰鬥”，也不清楚西迪基是如何被殺的。
獲獎攝影作品
Siddiqui 是路透社攝影團隊的一員，因記錄羅興亞難民危機而獲得 2018 年普利策專題攝影獎，評審委員會稱該系列為“令人震驚的照片，使世界暴露在逃離緬甸時羅興亞難民所面臨的暴力”。
自 2010 年起成為路透社攝影師，Siddiqui 的作品涵蓋阿富汗和伊拉克戰爭、羅興亞難民危機、香港抗議活動和尼泊爾地震。最近幾個月，他捕捉印度冠狀病毒大流行的灼熱照片已在世界各地發表。
塔利班武裝分子週三佔領了邊境地區，這是與巴基斯坦接壤的第二大過境點，也是他們在美國軍隊在 20 年的衝突後撤出而在全國迅速推進期間實現的最重要目標之一。
聯合國在今年的一份報告中稱，2018 年至 2021 年間，有 33 名記者在阿富汗遇害。
2018 年 4 月 30 日，10 名記者喪生，其中包括 9 名在喀布爾的自殺式炸彈襲擊中喪生的記者和攝影師，以及一名在東部城市霍斯特被槍殺的 BBC 阿富汗語服務記者。
那天是該國媒體自 2001 年塔利班在美國領導的運動中被驅逐以來最致命的一天。
2001 年 11 月 19 日，來自澳大利亞的路透社記者 Harry Burton 和阿富汗出生的 Azizullah Haidari 也被槍手殺害，槍手在從巴基斯坦邊境前往喀布爾的路上攔住了他們的車隊。他們前往喀布爾報導塔利班政權的垮台。
Reuters journalist killed covering clash between Afghan forces, Taliban
Siddiqui had been embedded as a journalist since earlier this week with Afghan special forces based in the southern province of Kandahar.
By REUTERS
JULY 16, 2021 23:13


Former Mujahideen hold weapons to support Afghan forces in their fight against Taliban, on the outskirts of Herat province, Afghanistan July 10, 2021.
(photo credit: JALIL AHMAD/REUTERS)
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Reuters journalist Danish Siddiqui was killed on Friday while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters near a border crossing with Pakistan, an Afghan commander said.
Afghan special forces had been fighting to retake the main market area of Spin Boldak when Siddiqui and a senior Afghan officer were killed in what they described as Taliban crossfire, the official told Reuters.
Siddiqui had been embedded as a journalist since earlier this week with Afghan special forces based in the southern province of Kandahar and had been reporting on fighting between Afghan commandos and Taliban fighters.
"We are urgently seeking more information, working with authorities in the region," Reuters President Michael Friedenberg and Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni said in a statement.
"Danish was an outstanding journalist, a devoted husband and father, and a much-loved colleague. Our thoughts are with his family at this terrible time."
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement on Twitter that he was "deeply saddened with the shocking reports" of Siddiqui's death and extended condolences to his family.
Siddiqui told Reuters he had been wounded in the arm by shrapnel earlier on Friday while reporting on the clash. He was treated and Taliban fighters later retreated from the fighting in Spin Boldak.
Siddiqui had been talking to shopkeepers when the Taliban attacked again, the Afghan commander said.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the details of the renewed fighting described by the Afghan military official, who asked not to be identified before Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry made a statement.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban had not been aware there was a journalist reporting from the site of what he described as a "fierce battle" and that it was not clear how Siddiqui had been killed.
PRIZE-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHY
Siddiqui was part of the Reuters photography team to win the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for documenting the Rohingya refugee crisis, a series described by the judging committee as "shocking photographs that exposed the world to the violence Rohingya refugees faced in fleeing Myanmar."
A Reuters photographer since 2010, Siddiqui's work spanned the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Hong Kong protests and Nepal earthquakes. In recent months, his searing photographs capturing the coronavirus pandemic in India have been published across the world.
Taliban fighters had seized the border area on Wednesday, the second-largest crossing on the border with Pakistan and one of the most important objectives they have achieved during a rapid advance across the country as US forces pull out after 20 years of conflict.
Thirty-three journalists were killed in Afghanistan between 2018 and 2021, the United Nations said in a report this year.
Ten journalists were killed on April 30, 2018, including nine reporters and photographers who died in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul, and a journalist working for the Afghan language service of the BBC who was shot in the eastern city of Khost.
That day was the deadliest for the country's media since the Taliban were ousted in a US-led campaign in 2001.
On Nov. 19, 2001, Reuters journalists Harry Burton from Australia and Afghan-born Azizullah Haidari were also killed by gunmen who stopped their convoy on the road to Kabul from the Pakistani border. They were traveling to Kabul to cover the fall of the Taliban regime.


埃及總統祝賀赫爾佐格上任
艾薩克·赫爾佐格總統上任以來收到了許多賀信，其中包括埃及總統阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西的賀信。
作者：GREER FAY CASHMAN
2021 年 7 月 16 日 15:31



阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·西西
（照片來源：瓦西里·費多森科/路透社）
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以色列最近上任的總統艾薩克·赫爾佐格（Isaac Herzog）已經開始行動。
在短短一個多星期的時間裡，他與幾位地區領導人進行了口頭或書面接觸，會見了納夫塔利·貝內特總理和以色列國防軍的高層，參加了幾次會議和一次軍事活動，收到了代表團，參觀了洛德市等等。
Herzog 精力充沛，喜歡填滿他的日程安排。和他的所有前任一樣，他沒有朝九晚五的工作，而是工作到深夜，有時甚至到凌晨。
他最近收到了埃及總統阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西( Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi)的賀信，內容如下：
“我很感激和高興地獲悉以色列議會批准你擔任以色列國新總統的消息。

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Coronavirus in Israel: In first sinceMarch, 855 new cases; PM to address


“我藉此良機向閣下表示祝賀，並表示我希望你的當選將有助於進一步加強和平文化。在這方面，我想申明，埃及相信公正和持久解決巴勒斯坦事業的共同努力，我非常期待您為此做出貢獻，以便我們地區最終能夠享受我們都渴望的和平。”

應該指出的是，Al Sisi 並沒有像常態那樣指以巴衝突，而是寫了“巴勒斯坦事業”。

他對赫爾佐格為“和平文化”做出貢獻的能力的信念不僅基於赫爾佐格與所有信仰的人相處得很好的記錄，從極端宗教到極端世俗，以及最富裕和最有影響力的人最貧窮和社會的渣滓。他也知道赫爾佐格的母親奧拉 (nee Ambache) 在埃及出生和長大。

此外，Al Sisi 於 2017 年 4 月在開羅會見了赫爾佐格，當時赫爾佐格作為反對派領導人飛往那裡參與地區和平努力。

兩人於當年11月在紐約再次會面，2020年2月，赫爾佐格訪問埃及駐特拉維夫大使館，簽署了悼念已故埃及總統胡斯尼穆巴拉克的弔唁書。

2021 年 7 月 16 日，埃及總統阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西對以色列總統艾薩克·赫爾佐格就職表示祝賀。（圖片來源：對方提供）
Egyptian president congratulates Herzog on entrance to office
President Isaac Herzog has received many congratulatory letters since taking office, including that of the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
By GREER FAY CASHMAN
JULY 16, 2021 15:31


ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISI
(photo credit: VASILY FEDOSENKO / REUTERS)
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Israel's recently initiated President Isaac Herzog has hit the ground running.
In the space of just over a week he has had spoken or written contacts with several regional leaders, has met with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and with the top brass of the Israel Defense Forces, has participated in several conferences and a military event, has received delegations, has toured the City of Lod, and more.
Bursting with boundless energy, Herzog likes to fill his daily schedule. And like all of his predecessors, he does not have a 9-5 job, but works till very late at night, and sometimes into the wee small hours.
He recently received a congratulatory letter from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi that reads:
"I have learnt with appreciation and pleasure the news of your endorsement by the Knesset as the new President of the State of Israel.
"I avail myself of this good opportunity to congratulate Your Excellency as you embark upon your new responsibilities, expressing my hope that your election will contribute to further strengthening the culture of peace. In this context I would like to affirm that Egypt believes in the importance of joint efforts to achieved a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause and I very much look forward to your contribution to this effect so that our region can eventually enjoy the peace that we all aspire to."
It should be noted that Al Sisi did not refer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as is the norm, but wrote "Palestinian cause."
His faith in Herzog's ability to contribute to "the culture of peace" is based not only on Herzog's record to get along well with people of all faiths, from the ultra religious to the ultra secular, as well as the most affluent and influential to the poorest and to the dregs of society. He is also aware of the fact that Herzog's mother Aura, (nee Ambache), was born and raised in Egypt.
Moreover, Al Sisi met with Herzog in Cairo in April 2017, when Herzog as Opposition leader flew there to be part of regional endeavor towards peace.
The two met again in New York in November of that year, and in February 2020, Herzog visited the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv to sign the condolence book in memory of the late Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.


世衛組織：東地中海地區的冠狀病毒“達到臨界點”
世界衛生組織擔心利比亞、突尼斯、伊拉克、伊朗、黎巴嫩和摩洛哥的冠狀病毒病例激增。
作者：TARA KAVALER/媒體行
2021 年 7 月 16 日 02:42



新當選的世界衛生組織總幹事譚德塞出席在瑞士日內瓦舉行的聯合國新聞發布會

（圖片來源：路透社）
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根據世界衛生組織(WHO) 的數據，其東地中海地區的 COVID-19 病例總數超過 1140 萬，死亡人數超過 223,000。
有關 The Media Line 的更多故事，請訪問themedialine.org
世衛組織東地中海區域主任 Ahmed Al-Mandhari 博士在周中發布的一份新聞聲明中說：“我們正達到我們地區 COVID-19 的臨界點。” “各國正在重新實施或加強社會和旅行限制，但在現階段，社區日益自滿意味著該病毒正在該地區獲勝。”
他補充說：“現在扭轉這種流行病的進程還為時不晚，但這需要在全球、區域和國家層面做出更大努力。”
世衛組織東地中海區域辦事處並不包括所有東地中海國家，而是涵蓋了一些遠離地中海的非洲和亞洲國家。其成員包括阿富汗、巴林、吉布提、埃及、伊朗、伊拉克、約旦、科威特、黎巴嫩、利比亞、摩洛哥、阿曼、巴基斯坦、巴勒斯坦、卡塔爾、沙特阿拉伯、索馬里、蘇丹、敘利亞、突尼斯、阿拉伯聯合酋長國和也門。

儘管過去兩個月冠狀病毒感染人數普遍下降，但由於變異、大量人未接種疫苗以及對安全協議的遵守不嚴，世衛組織擔心利比亞、突尼斯、伊拉克、伊朗、黎巴嫩和摩洛哥的病例會激增。
例如，在突尼斯和利比亞，接種疫苗的人口比例分別僅為 6% 和 5.6%。
在伊拉克，只有不到 1% 的人口接受過一劑疫苗。該國在 7 月 13 日遭受了一場悲劇，當時至少有 92 人在納西里耶的 Al-Hussein 教學醫院的COVID隔離病房中死亡。
儘管如此，世衛組織擔心，由於從 7 月 19 日晚上開始的為期一周的穆斯林節日宰牲節，冠狀病毒的情況會惡化。
據該組織稱，伊朗將其長達一個月的新病例激增歸因於在標誌著伊朗新年的諾烏茲三月假期期間沒有遵守社會隔離措施。
說到變體，難以捉摸的 alpha 和 delta 是兩種導致摩洛哥將緊急狀態命令的範圍擴大到 8 月 10 日的菌株。
土耳其衛生部長法赫雷丁·科卡 (Fahrettin Koca) 7 月 12 日對記者說，在一周的時間裡，歸因於 delta 變體的冠狀病毒病例數從 284 例增加到 750 例。
在其他 COVID-19 疫苗接種新聞中，法新社報導說，安曼將從美國獲得 500,000 劑輝瑞疫苗。
據《國家報》報導，500,000 劑未命名的冠狀病毒疫苗抵達突尼斯。據世界衛生組織稱，該國的氧氣和重症監護室容量分別為 90% 和 95%。
據多哈新聞報導，上週五，卡塔爾向突尼斯派遣了一家野戰醫院，以及 200 名醫務人員和 100 名呼吸器。突尼斯總理Hichem Mechichi於7月13日視察了該醫院，計劃安裝在突尼斯郊區Ben Arous。
這是多哈在大流行期間第二次派遣野戰醫院。
世衛組織表示，突尼斯的 COVID-19 死亡率是整個非洲最嚴重的。
在以色列，薩爾曼·扎卡於 7 月 14 日成為以色列的冠狀病毒“沙皇”，接替現任衛生部總幹事的納赫曼·阿什教授。
以下是截至週四格林威治標準時間 (UTC±0) 下午 5 點的中東和北非最新 COVID-19 數字。
國家
確診病例
死亡人數
恢復
現有病例
阿富汗
139,051
6,072
86,219
46,760
阿爾及利亞
148,797
3,882
103,192
41,723
巴林
267,505
1,378
265,129
998
塞浦路斯
87,305
383
73,452
13,470
吉布提
11,621
155
11,457
9
埃及
283,409
16,418
220,530
46,461
伊朗
3,464,055
86,592
3,086,017
291,446
伊拉克
1,466,529
17,707
1,332,578
116,244
以色列
848,674
6,443
836,859
5,372
約旦
759,686
9,872
742,065
7,749
科威特
380,699
2,158
360,746
17,795
黎巴嫩
548,972
7,881
534,768
6,323
利比亞
214,568
3,249
182,359
28,960
毛里塔尼亞
22,049
499
20,470
1,080
摩洛哥
549,844
9,418
528,645
11,781
阿曼
289,042
3,498
263,752
21,792
巴基斯坦
981,392
22,689
916,373
42,330
巴勒斯坦領土
315,409
3,585
310,239
1,585
卡塔爾
223,911
599
221,805
1,507
沙特阿拉伯
506,125
8,035
486,918
11,172
索馬里
15,076
781
7,267
7,028
蘇丹
36,986
2,774
30,756
3,456
敘利亞
25,806
1,901
21,896
2,009
突尼斯
518,609
16,845
413,155
88,609
土耳其
5,500,151
50,367
5,365,075
84,709
阿拉伯聯合酋長國
656,354
1,885
634,272
20,197
也門
6,964
1,366
4,151
1,447
全部的
18,268,589
286,432
17,060,145
922,012
WHO: East med region ‘reaching critical point’ for coronavirus
The World Health Organization fears coronavirus case surges in Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Morocco.
By TARA KAVALER/THE MEDIA LINE
JULY 16, 2021 02:42



Newly elected Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

(photo credit: REUTERS)
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the total number of COVID-19 cases in its Eastern Mediterranean Region is more than 11.4 million, with over 223,000 fatalities.
For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org
“We are reaching a critical point for COVID-19 in our region,” Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a press statement released midweek. “Countries are reintroducing or strengthening social and travel restrictions, but at this stage, increasing complacency by communities means that the virus is winning in the region.”
“It is not too late to turn the course of this pandemic, but it requires much more exerted global, regional and national efforts,” he added.
The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean does not include all Eastern Mediterranean nations and covers a number of African and Asian countries far from the Mediterranean Sea. Its members include Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The WHO fears a surge in cases in Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Morocco despite a general decrease in coronavirus infections over the last two months due to variants, large swaths of people going unvaccinated, and lax observance of safety protocols.
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In Tunisia and Libya, for example, the percentage of the populations that have been inoculated for the vaccine is only 6% and 5.6%, respectively.

In Iraq, less than 1% of the population has received one dose. The country suffered a tragedy on July 13 when at least 92 people died in the
COVID 
isolation ward of Nasiriyah's Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital.

Still, the WHO fears the coronavirus situation will worsen as a result of the weeklong Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, commencing on the evening of July 19.
According to the organization, Iran attributes its monthlong jump in new cases to nonobservance of social distancing measures during the March holiday of Nowuz, which marks the Iranian new year.
When it comes to variants, the elusive alpha and delta are two strains that have contributed to Morocco expanding the scope of its state of emergency order until August 10.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters on July 12 that over the course of a week, the number of coronavirus cases attributed to the delta variant increased from 284 to 750.
In other COVID-19 vaccination news, AFP reported that Amman would receive 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from the US.
According to The National, 500,000 doses of an unnamed coronavirus vaccine arrived in Tunisia. The country’s oxygen and intensive care slots are at 90% and 95% capacity, respectively, according to the WHO.
Last Friday, Qatar dispatched a field hospital to Tunisia, along with 200 medics and 100 respirators, according to Doha News. Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi visited the hospital on July 13. It is planned to be installed in the Tunis suburb of Ben Arous.
This is the second time that Doha has sent a field hospital during the pandemic.
The WHO said that Tunisia had the worst COVID-19 death rate in all of Africa.
In Israel, Salman Zarka became Israel’s coronavirus “czar” July 14, replacing Prof. Nachman Ash, who is now the director-general of the Health Ministry.
Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers for the Middle East and North Africa as of 5 pm Greenwich Mean Time (UTC±0) on Thursday.
Country
Confirmed Cases
Deaths
Recovered
Active Cases
Afghanistan
139,051
6,072
86,219
46,760
Algeria
148,797
3,882
103,192
41,723
Bahrain
267,505
1,378
265,129
998
Cyprus
87,305
383
73,452
13,470
Djibouti
11,621
155
11,457
9
Egypt
283,409
16,418
220,530
46,461
Iran
3,464,055
86,592
3,086,017
291,446
Iraq
1,466,529
17,707
1,332,578
116,244
Israel
848,674
6,443
836,859
5,372
Jordan
759,686
9,872
742,065
7,749
Kuwait
380,699
2,158
360,746
17,795
Lebanon
548,972
7,881
534,768
6,323
Libya
214,568
3,249
182,359
28,960
Mauritania
22,049
499
20,470
1,080
Morocco
549,844
9,418
528,645
11,781
Oman
289,042
3,498
263,752
21,792
Pakistan
981,392
22,689
916,373
42,330
Palestinian Territories
315,409
3,585
310,239
1,585
Qatar
223,911
599
221,805
1,507
Saudi Arabia
506,125
8,035
486,918
11,172
Somalia
15,076
781
7,267
7,028
Sudan
36,986
2,774
30,756
3,456
Syria
25,806
1,901
21,896
2,009
Tunisia
518,609
16,845
413,155
88,609
Turkey
5,500,151
50,367
5,365,075
84,709
United Arab Emirates
656,354
1,885
634,272
20,197
Yemen
6,964
1,366
4,151
1,447
Total
18,268,589
286,432
17,060,145
922,012
Steven Ganot contributed to this report.
專家擔心美國離開阿富汗後伊朗會進入
德黑蘭越來越多地將塔利班視為合法因素
作者：TARA KAVALER/媒體行
2021 年 7 月 16 日 15:31



美國海軍陸戰隊在阿富汗南部的海軍陸戰隊基地前線填充沙袋。
（照片來源：JIM HOLLANDER/REUTERS）
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由於美國將於8 月底完成從阿富汗撤軍的任務，地區分析人士擔心伊朗將填補這一空白。
有關 The Media Line 的更多故事，請訪問themedialine.org
伊朗革命衛隊（IRGC）及其代理人已經在該地區發揮了強大的影響力，無論是在也門、伊拉克、敘利亞、黎巴嫩還是巴勒斯坦領土。
“伊朗正試圖利用阿富汗局勢將自己展示為阿富汗團體之間的調解人，並且在未來，正如伊朗一貫所做的那樣，試圖將每一個威脅轉化為機遇，”伊朗問題專家拉茲·齊姆特博士說在特拉維夫大學國家安全研究所，告訴媒體專線。
“如果我們看到過去十年在阿拉伯中東發生的事情，那裡的混亂和內戰實際上為伊朗提供了更多參與和參與的機會，我不能排除這種情況會發生的可能性，因為在阿富汗很好，”齊姆特說。
塔利班和伊朗領導人並不是明顯的搭檔，前者是遜尼派極端分子，後者是激進的什葉派。
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然而，紐約大學研究員、《影子指揮官：蘇萊曼尼、美國和伊朗的全球野心》一書的作者 Arash Azizi 表示，德黑蘭很可能會在 8 月之後擴大其在喀布爾的影響力。

“美國離開
阿富汗
勢必會增加那裡伊朗政權的影響力，伊朗政權一直在為此做準備，埋葬了對塔利班的大部分舊敵意，讓許多厭惡塔利班政治並記得它如何殺死伊朗政治的伊朗人感到厭惡。 1998 年在馬扎里沙裡夫擁有自己的外交官，”他告訴媒體專線，指的是在該組織從北方聯盟軍事前線奪取德黑蘭領事館後，10 名伊朗外交官和一名記者在德黑蘭領事館被謀殺。

“伊朗不僅公開與塔利班談判，而且越來越多地將他們視為合法因素，長期以來它實際上支持塔利班中一個被稱為“馬什哈德派”的派系，因為它是由伊斯蘭革命衛隊特工在伊朗指揮的。 [伊朗] 東北部城市馬什哈德，”他補充說
超過 90% 的美軍已經撤離阿富汗，使美國歷時近 20 年的最長戰爭接近尾聲。
在過去的二十年裡，美國軍方一直在訓練阿富汗安全部隊獨立站立，但迄今為止的結果並沒有激發人們的信心。
1500 多名阿富汗服務人員最近在塔利班軍事進攻之前離開了他們的崗位，前往鄰近的塔吉克斯坦國家。伊斯蘭主義者現在控制著阿富汗大約三分之一的地區。
就在上週，塔利班佔領了一個連接伊朗和阿富汗的主要邊境哨所。
儘管如此，德黑蘭仍對伊朗應對阿富汗採取何種方向存在分歧。
“強硬派對美國從阿富汗撤軍感到非常高興；他們將其視為美國從中東撤軍的又一步，希望下一階段是美國從伊拉克和敘利亞撤軍，”齊姆特說。
“伊朗的其他派係對事情的看法不同，也許他們更清楚伊朗可能面臨的困難，”他繼續說道。“我認為他們是對的，因為歸根結底，沒有人能真正判斷阿富汗的局勢將會如何，以及伊朗將不得不花費多少資源。”
由於伊朗已經遍布中東地區並陷入財務困境，這對伊斯蘭共和國來說可能代價高昂。
齊姆特說：“如果伊朗發現自己不得不從其他地方（例如伊拉克）拿走部分軍事和政治資源，並將其投入阿富汗，這可能是伊朗面臨的另一個挑戰。”
Experts fear Iran will move in after US leaves Afghanistan
Tehran increasingly speaking about the Taliban as a legitimate factor
By TARA KAVALER/THE MEDIA LINE
JULY 16, 2021 15:31


US MARINES fill sandbags on the frontlines of a Marine Corps base in southern Afghanistan.
(photo credit: JIM HOLLANDER/REUTERS)
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With the US set to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of August, regional analysts fear Iran will fill the void.
For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its proxies already exercise a powerful influence in the region, be it in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or the Palestinian territories.
“Iran is trying to use the situation in Afghanistan both to present itself as a mediator between the Afghan groups, and in the future, as Iran has always done, trying to turn every threat into opportunity,” Dr. Raz Zimmt, an Iran specialist at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, told The Media Line.
“And if we see what happened in the Arab Middle East over the last decade, where the chaos and the civil wars actually provided Iran with opportunities to be more engaged and more involved, I can’t rule out the possibility that this will happen as well in Afghanistan,” Zimmt said.
The Taliban and the Iranian leadership are not obvious bedfellows, as the former are Sunni extremists, and the latter are radical Shi’ites.
Yet, Arash Azizi, a researcher at New York University and author of “The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US, and Iran’s Global Ambitions,” says it is likely Tehran will expand its reach in Kabul after August.
“The US leaving Afghanistan is bound to increase the influence of the Iranian regime there, which has been preparing for this by burying much of its old antagonism to the Taliban, to the disgust of many Iranians who detest Taliban’s politics and remember how it killed Iran’s own diplomats in Mazar Sharif in 1998,” he told The Media Line, referring to the murder of 10 Iranian diplomats and one journalist at Tehran’s consulate after the group captured the city from the Northern Alliance military front.
“Iran has not only been openly negotiating with the Taliban and increasingly speaks about them as a legitimate factor, for a long time it has actually backed a faction in the Taliban known as the “Mashhad Faction” since it is directed by IRGC agents in the northeastern [Iranian] city of Mashhad,” he added
More than 90% of US troops have already left Afghanistan, bringing America’s longest war near to a close after nearly 20 years.
The US military has spent the past two decades training the Afghan security forces to stand on their own two feet, but the results so far do little to inspire confidence.
More than 1,500 Afghan service personnel recently deserted their posts for the adjacent nation of Tajikistan ahead of the Taliban’s military advance. The Islamists now control an estimated third of Afghanistan.
Just last week, the Taliban seized a major border post that connects Iran and Afghanistan.
Still, there are divergent opinions in Tehran over which direction Iran should take with Afghanistan.
“The hardliners are very pleased with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan; they present it as another step in US withdrawal from the Middle East, hoping that the next stage will be the US pulling its forces from Iraq and Syria,” Zimmt said.
“Other factions in Iran see things differently, perhaps more aware of the difficulties Iran might have to face,” he continued. “I think they’re right because, at the end of the day, no one can really tell what the situation in Afghanistan is going to be and how much resources Iran will have to expend.”
With Iran already stretched thin across the Middle East and in financial distress, this might prove costly for the Islamic Republic.
“If Iran finds itself in a situation where it has to take some of its military and political resources from other places, Iraq, for example, and put them into Afghanistan, that might be another challenge for Iran,” Zimmt said.