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Unlike in previous years, Arab cities have not experienced collective New Year celebrations, besides the precautionary conditions imposed by the Corona pandemic, economic crises and manifestations of violence have compounded the disappearance of manifestations of joy.
For the first time in 50 years, the Lebanese capital Beirut did not attend celebrations in the streets and in the squares before the New Year.
Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud said: “There is a state of frustration among the citizens due to the economic crisis and its impact on the living situation, as well as the sadness resulting from the explosion of the port. of Beirut “which occurred on August 4, which left about 200 dead and injured thousands more in addition to the damage. Colossal material.
Abboud stressed that all of these reasons, in addition to the Corona pandemic, were reflected in the desire of many not to celebrate.
The explosion of the port and the repercussions of the pandemic have exacerbated the economic crisis that plagued Lebanon for more than a year, as the value of the lira deteriorated against the dollar and the purchasing power of most of the employees collapsed.
While the public squares in the center of the capital were empty of celebrations, citizens flocked to restaurants and cafes to celebrate the occasion, while others preferred to spend the last night at home.
Kill and kill a woman
In the same context, a Syrian refugee was killed in a refugee camp in eastern Lebanon. After being hit by a “stray bullet” at midnight last night, according to the country’s official agency.
The agency said: “The Syrian HAJ died after being hit by a stray bullet that penetrated their head inside Taybeh camp (Baalbek district) for the displaced Syrians yesterday at midnight, to celebrate the new Year.
There are over a million Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Lebanon, while the government estimates their number at 1.5 million, due to the war in their country since 2011.
In several Lebanese regions, at midnight last night, heavy gunfire in the air was “cheering” for the New Year, a phenomenon that recurs every year, according to the Anatolian correspondent.
Activists on social media posted recorded clips of heavy gunfire in the air, as well as images and videos showing property damage resulting from falling bullets.
The shooting injured one of the civilian planes of the Lebanese company “Middle East Airlines” at the Rafic Hariri international airport in Beirut.
Yesterday, the official agency said that “random bullets fell yesterday to celebrate the New Year, which resulted in the injury of one of Middle East Airlines’ modern planes at the airport”, but no injuries were sustained. reported.
The General Directorate of Internal Security Forces had previously called on citizens not to shoot on New Year’s Eve and to denounce the shooters, warning of the dangerous effects of the indiscriminate shooting phenomenon.
Dead and wounded in Iraq
In Iraq, the health ministry said in a statement that one person was killed and 62 others injured across the country as a result of the use of fireworks and live ammunition during the celebrations. New Year’s Eve.
He added that 25 others were injured by fireworks (location not specified), while 30 others were injured in a fire that broke out at a shopping center in Kirkuk governorate ( north), during the celebrations.
He explained that “the severity and location of injuries vary from simple to severe cases in different areas of the body.”
The Iraqis shot a lot on these occasions, in a phenomenon that the authorities have failed to curb despite warnings and repeated attempts.
Iraqi law allows every Iraqi family to keep a small weapon after registering it with the appropriate authorities. However, according to tribal customs, Iraqis keep many weapons in their homes, including rocket-propelled grenades.
Khartoum has no celebrations
Collective New Year’s celebrations were also absent from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, due to precautionary measures for the Corona pandemic imposed by authorities.
The streets, parks and event hall were empty of any festive aspect of the arrival of the new year, while many areas of the capital witnessed blackouts in the evening, according to the Anadolu agency. .
Gatherings, which were familiar in previous years, are gone, especially on the main street overlooking the Nile, which usually witnesses crowded parties and events.
Young men congregated in limited fashion at and below the “Toti Bridge” connecting Khartoum and Totti Island on the Blue Nile (the main tributary of the Nile), while tall buildings and bridges in the center city were decorated with lights and decorative lights.
Sudanese authorities announced earlier, preventing mass gatherings, celebrations and celebrations on the occasion of the New Year.
Liberty Square, the largest square in the capital which hosts huge gatherings during New Year’s celebrations, has announced that it will not hold celebrations this year due to health conditions and ministry guidelines of Health to deal with the Corona pandemic.
As of December 22, the number of infections in Sudan due to the virus had reached 23,316, including 2,468 deaths and 13,524 recoveries.
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