ADDIS ABABA: Volcanic activity in northern Ethiopia’s long-dormant Hayli Gubbi volcano subsided Tuesday, days after an eruption that left a trail of destruction in nearby villages and caused flight cancelations after ash plumes disrupted high-altitude flight paths.
Villages in the district of Afdera in the Afar region were covered in ash, officials said residents were coughing, and livestock found their grass and water totally covered.
Airlines canceled dozens of flights scheduled to fly over affected areas as the meteorological department said the ash clouds were expected to clear later in the day.
India’s flag carrier, Air India, said it canceled 11 flights, most of them international, on Monday and Tuesday to inspect aircraft that may have flown over affected areas, acting on a directive from India’s aviation safety regulator.
Another Indian operator, Akasa Air, said it had canceled flights to Middle East destinations such as Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait; and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
At least seven international flights scheduled to depart from and arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi were canceled Tuesday, while at least a dozen were delayed, according to an official at the airport.
An official in charge of health in northern Ethiopia’s Afdera district, Abedella Mussa, said the residents were coughing and mobile medical services from the larger Afar region had been launched in the remote area.
“Two medical teams have been dispatched to the affected kebeles (neighborhoods) like Fia and Nemma-Gubi to provide mobile medical services,” he said.
Another official in charge of livestock, Nuur Mussa, said animals were unable to find clean water or grass. “Many animals, especially in the two affected kebeles, cannot drink clean water or feed on grass because it is covered by volcanic ash,” he said.
Atalay Ayele, a geologist at Addis Ababa University, said such eruptions occur because Ethiopia is situated along an active rift system where volcanism and earthquakes are frequent.
“This is the first recorded eruption of Hayli Gubbi in the last 10,000 years,” he told The Associated Press. “It will likely continue for a short period and then stop until the next cycle.”
High-level winds carried the ash cloud from Ethiopia across the Red Sea, Yemen, Oman, the Arabian Sea and then toward western and northern India, the India Meteorological Department said in a statement. The ash cloud was moving toward China and expected to clear Indian skies late Tuesday.
Eruption of long-dormant Ethiopian volcano subsides
https://arab.news/rj8kq
Eruption of long-dormant Ethiopian volcano subsides
- Villages in the district of Afdera in the Afar region were covered in ash
- Airlines canceled dozens of flights scheduled to fly over affected areas
Report highlights role of British Muslim charitable giving in supporting UK public services
- The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched service
LONDON: British Muslim charitable giving is playing an increasingly significant role in supporting frontline public services across the UK, according to a new report by policy and research organization Equi.
The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched services, including local councils, the NHS and welfare systems, at a time of growing financial pressure.
The report estimates that Muslim donors contribute around £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) annually, making them the UK’s most generous community.
This figure is around four times the national giving average and rises to almost 10 times the average among higher earners.
According to the findings, Muslim-led charities are providing a wide range of support, including housing assistance, emergency cash grants, food provision and mental health services, easing demand on statutory services.
Equi points to evidence from 2023 showing that housing support delivered by the National Zakat Foundation helped prevent evictions that would have cost councils an estimated £28.8 million, with every £1 of charitable spending generating £73 in public sector savings.
The report also highlights a generational shift, with younger British Muslims increasingly directing their donations toward domestic causes such as homelessness, child poverty and mental health challenges.
Despite their growing impact, Muslim charities face a number of barriers, including de-banking, restrictive funding rules, securitization measures and what the report describes as limited recognition from government. Equi argues that these challenges are constraining the sector’s ability to maximize its contribution.
“British Muslim giving is not just generosity but a lifeline for public services that needs recognizing,” said Equi Managing Director Prof. Javed Khan.
“From preventing evictions to supporting mental health, these donations are saving millions for the taxpayer and strengthening communities across Britain. The evidence is clear that Muslim-led action is delivering frontline support where the state is struggling,” he added.
Equi is calling on policymakers to engage more closely with Muslim-led charities and to move beyond what it describes as symbolic recognition.
The report recommends measures such as UK-based match-funding schemes and greater faith literacy within policymaking, which it says could unlock billions of pounds in additional domestic spending while maintaining the UK’s global humanitarian commitments.
The study concluded that with greater collaboration between government and Muslim charities, charitable giving could play an even more transformative role in strengthening public services and social cohesion across the country.
