New UAE app allows parents to track their children’s whereabouts

February 14, 2014

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Abu Dhabi, Feb 14: The Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Center launched the “Hemayati” Mobile Application to improve the safety and protection services available for children.

This application comes as a response to directions set by the Higher Leadership.

It allows parents to know the whereabouts of their children, and determine times of arrival and departure of children to and from school, and informs them of any delays. Moreover, it enables parents to have live time communicate with their children through the application at all hours. It also provides an ingenious SOS feature built-in, enabling children to send distress calls to their parents when they feel threatened.

The free smartphone application is exclusively available in the UAE and is activated by parents only. It helps parents to locate children when they are lost. It is worth mentioning that this application is the culmination of the Ministry of Interior’s initiative, which recently launched 169 electronic services via its website and 30 smart services via mobile phones.

Major General Nasser Lakhrebani Al Nuaimi, Secretary General of the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Higher Committee for Child Protection at the Ministry of Interior, stressed that the “Hemayati” Program is a crucial part of the UAE’s “national agenda” for the next seven years.

“It deals with security issues and works toward the aim of making the UAE one of the safest places in the world by achieving a complete sense of security, and by reducing the response period for emergency calls to just four minutes,” continued Major General Al Nuaimi.

He also pointed out that the “Hemayati” System comes as a response to the requests of the parents wishing to know the whereabouts of their children.

“This application is part of the ministry’s initiatives, to provide care and attention to young people, and improve their protection and safety extensively,” said Al Nuaimi. Al Nuami also highlighted the ministry's procedures in this regard, most notably establishing the Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Center in the UAE, which was set up as a result of the Ministerial Decree No. 347 of 2011.

He noted that the Ministry Interior’s Child Protection Center has been assigned with the mission of developing, implementing and standardizing the initiatives and actions aimed at providing safety, security and protection of all children living in or visiting the UAE.

“This project shall provide the highest standards of protection and security for children, by controlling their leisure time. This calls for strengthening efforts and institutional initiatives to protect them, given that youth and children populations represent a high percentage of society in the UAE,” Al Nuaimi concluded.

For his part, Major General Ahmed Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, praised the application.

“It provides a safety net to enhance child protection and allows parents to keep track of their children’s whereabouts or know that they didn’t reach school or any other public destination on time. It also allows family members to communicate via instant messaging that is accessible for family members only,” said Al Raisi.

He also mentioned that the application features secure specifications due to its privacy policy, and helps to determine the whereabouts of children when they go missing. It also warns parents if their children failed to reach school on time, or any other places. “These projects are in service of the homeland,” said Al Raisi.

Commenting on the same subject, Brigadier Eng. Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate and Chairman of the Executive Committee of School Transportation in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, noted that the “Hemayati” application will develop standards for school transportation.

“It will be a key enabler to some relevant projects, which are being developed by the committee within an integrated system that include the bus, the driver, the infrastructure, the smart systems, the legislative structure, and awareness, with a view to promote the safety of students on school buses and address risks to which they may be exposed,” added Al Harithi.

Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Mohammed Al Shammari, Director of the Child Protection Center at the Ministry of Interior and Chairman of the Technical Subcommittee, said that the application sends an automatic alert to the father and the mother should their child fail to reach a specific destination on time.

“The father can set his child’s arrival time at school, between 7:30 am and 7:45 am. If the child does not reach school on time or fails to appear, the application sends an alert to the parents in order to enable them to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of their child,” explained Al Shammari.

Family members can communicate with each other by clicking on the picture of one of the family members on the map, and the name and the last known whereabouts of the latter appear. They can also call each other, or send a message or a request to determine their location. This is only accessible to family members through a chat called “special group”.

Data from users’ Emirates Identity Cards is used for registration. The identity of the person activating the application is confirmed, and allows the application to be activated only by parents. To do so, one must enter the ID number to be sure that the person is authorized to use the application. The last three digits of their phone number are sent to be confirmed and then they receive a PIN code to be used to complete the registration process. The wife and children can register online through the main application menu. The system grants the husband and wife the option to hide their whereabouts.

“The service is limited to families with children. This is verified through the ID card data upon registration, because the application is meant to enhance the protection of children and not to help impose control over them,” said Al Shammari. He also added that the installation of this app on family members’ phones should be done by mutual consent, through their own discretion. “It is important to communicate with children, to convince them of the importance and benefits of this service that ensures their safety,” explained Al Shammari.

He indicated that the application is already available on “Google play” for Android systems in this first stage, followed by Apple, BlackBerry, and Windows in later stages.

Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Mohammed Al Shammari, Director of the Child Protection Center at the Ministry of Interior, has urged family members to not hesitate and get the “Hemayati” service in order to take advantage of its features and enhance security and safety, and to avoid the dangers that children may face while they are unattended in public places. He also asked parents to emphasize the application’s importance to their children and introduce them to its benefits that can protect them.

For his part, Captain Mohammed Saleh Al Mansouri, Director of GIS Security Center, explained that the geographical map for police security features the coordinates of the locations that are visited like malls, gardens, parks, natural plains, and other recreational facilities.

Captain Majid Hashim Al Hashimi, Information Security Officer, asserted that the “Hemayati” application is distinguished for its safety specifications and the privacy features for its users. He also pointed out that the application messaging services are secured to protect family privacy. This security is guaranteed by the registration mechanism in the app that requires the person’s ID to access the service, and authorizes them to access by entering a personal password.

Registration Steps:

To use the application, one must register in the “Hemayati” system. To do so, one must enter the ID number. Then, the person will receive a message with a PIN code generated by the system. Entering the PIN code allows verification of the phone owner’s identity. After that, the registration is completed through the application itself.

* You can send an invitation message to add your wife to your account. To do so, you should enter her ID Number and her e-mail. The wife will then receive an e-mail, containing a link with the terms of use and conditions, which she should accept in order to complete the registration process.

* To add a new member to a group, enter the persons’ ID Number, and then press “Add Location”. To add a location, you may press the “+” sign, and enter the location name. You may also navigate the map to find the location. “Use Current Location” to find your location on the map. Finally, press “Add Location”.

* To add “To Do”: Chose the location, specify date, time and frequency. Finally, press “Add”.

A child goes missing or is abducted every 40 seconds worldwide

International statistics indicate that a child goes missing or is abducted every 40 seconds worldwide.

More than 70% of abduction cases take place within 400 meters of a child’s house; it usually involves strangers communicating with the children and luring them in. Not to mention the living nightmare that parents face when their child goes missing or is abducted; an estimated eight million children are reported missing or abducted each year around the world.

As many as 80% of the world’s children are dealing with modern technologies in their early stages of life, and it is estimated that one in every five people will own a smart phone by the end of the year.

In light of the Ministry of Interior’s keenness to ward off these risks and to address parents’ requirements, the Ministry of Interior’s Child Protection Center (CPC) has launched the “Hemayati” application; a smart phones app that provides a safety net to improve the protection of children.

The Application: An Advanced Accomplishment

Moza Salem Al Shoomi, Head of the Child Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and member of the Higher Council for Family and Children, praised the application.

She said that launching the “Hemayati” smart application is a new accomplishment for the UAE. It is also a first step towards applying and activating the protection articles that are stated in the international agreements on children’s rights. It is also an advanced achievement using smart services for child protection purposes, in response to the police leadership’s directions, which gave top priority to society’s protection in general and child protection in particular.

The “Hemayati” application system is one of the most efficient and rapid tools that will enable children and their families to report any harmful acts or any acts of assault that they might face. It is a helpful tool for the competent security authorities and helps them intervene immediately to take any needed actions to help the children.

For his part, Ali Makki, Head of School Transport Committee at the Department of Transport asserted that the “Hemayati” application, which the MoI Child Protection Center (CPC) has launched, falls within the framework of the Department of Transport’s strategic priorities that aim to provide all-inclusive, safe solutions in the field of school transportation. This is based on the unprecedented security and safety features of the students’ daily transportation. Launching the application will allow parents to monitor their children while on their ways to and from school. Additionally, parents will know if their children are in any danger or if the bus is late.

Furthermore, Mr. Makki added that the Department of Transport is committed to utilizing the most modern technologies available via smart phones to improve safety and security standards. The commitment is applied through close cooperation with the strategic partners in the field of school transportation. Mr. Makki also said that these strategies reflect the wise leadership’s visions, which dedicates top priority to the security and safety of all segments of society in Abu Dhabi and the UAE that are enjoying safety, stability, and welfare.

Family monitoring

The “Hemayati” application is specifically designed to enhance the protection of children; it is not meant to impose any kind of control over them. Installing the application on the family members’ phones must be done by mutual consent, through their own discretion. Parents need to communicate with children, to convince them of the importance and benefits of this service that ensures their safety. To download and install the app, please visit the following link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.CPCapp.

You may also look for the app on “Google play” by typing “Hemayati.”

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News Network
March 26,2024

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There is no let-up in the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an “immediate ceasefire.”

Israel carried out air raids and artillery strikes on several parts of Gaza on Tuesday, hitting residential buildings and gatherings of displaced people, “killing and wounding hundreds of people”, the Palestinian Information Center said.

Among the victims are 15 people, including four women and children, who were killed in an attack on a house in the neighborhood of Mosbeh, north of Rafah.

Media reports also said that fighting on the ground continued unabated.

That’s while the UN Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution for an “immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The resolution was put forward by the 10 non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. The US abstained and the 14 other council members all voted in favor of it.

After the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote on social media platform X that failing to implement the resolution “would be unforgivable.”

Palestinian resistance movements have welcomed the resolution, but Israel’s minister for military affairs Yoav Gallant said Israel will not stop its attacks in Gaza. 

“We will operate against Hamas everywhere – including in places where we have not yet been,” Gallant said.

Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, also said in a post on X that the attacks will continue until all the captives taken by Hamas during its October 7 blitz are released.

Israel unleashed its war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 32,300 Palestinians and injured over 74,000 others.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

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News Network
March 21,2024

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Israeli military siege, hunger, and diseases will soon become the main killer in Gaza, says commissioner- general of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, took to X on Wednesday to vent his concern for the growing hunger and spread of diseases as a result of the Israeli siege on the besieged strip.

He said starvation and illness may soon be the main killer in Gaza.

"This fabricated and catastrophic level of hunger can still be reversed by flooding Gaza with food and life-saving assistance," Lazzarini said.

"More than ever humanity requires political will,” the UNRWA chief added.

In a press release on March 19, UNRWA said that “famine is imminent in the Gaza Strip, especially for isolated populations in northern Gaza deprived of humanitarian aid.”

The statement noted that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), in a latest food security outlook, concluded that up to 1.1 million people in Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

“Nutrition screenings conducted in February by UNICEF and UNRWA show that rates of acute malnutrition among children in northern Gaza and Rafah have nearly doubled since January,” it said.

The Israeli regime has accused UNRWA staff of being involved in the October 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas against the occupied territories, prompting a number of its western allies to suspend funding for the UN agency.

On Wednesday, an agreement was reached by US congressional leaders and the White House on a massive funding bill will continue a ban on US funding for UNRWA until March 2025, Reuters reported.

Earlier this year the US, Canada, Australia, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Finland, Estonia, Japan, Austria and Romania  decided to cut their funding to the UNRWA, considered a lifeline for the Palestinians in Gaza.

France had also announced that it does not plan a new payment to fund UNRWA in the first quarter of 2024.

Condemning the suspension of funding, Lazzarini had said, “It would be immensely irresponsible to sanction an agency and an entire community…, especially at a time of war, displacement and political crises in the region.”

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News Network
March 15,2024

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The leader of Yemen’s Houthis has said that the Yemeni armed forces will continue their retaliatory operations against Israeli-affiliated commercial vessels, preventing the passage of the ships even through the Indian Ocean and through the Cape of Good Hope.  

About 34 Houthi fighters have been killed since the Yemeni armed forces began to attack shipping lanes in solidarity with the people of Palestine under attack in Gaza by Israel, Ansarullah leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday.

Yemeni forces have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against Israeli and Israel-bound ships since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's war on Gaza.

Al-Houthi said 73 ships have been targeted in Yemeni operations in support of Gaza so far, adding rarely does any ship associated with the Israeli enemy pass through Bab al-Mandab.

“This week, support operations included 12 operations targeting ships and barges, executed with a total of 58 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden,” he said.

“Our operations this time reached unprecedented ranges, with 3 operations reaching the Indian Ocean, by the grace of Allah,” he added. “The total number of targeted ships and barges reached 73.”

Al-Houthi said that the operations will continue as long as the aggression and siege on Gaza persist.

The United States and Britain began striking Yemen in January in order to dissuade the country from targeting Israeli ships which carry arms and logistics for the onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Al-Houthi said the Americans and the British have received “painful blows” from the Yemeni armed forces in retaliation.

The American-British “aggression will not affect the escalating course of our operations in terms of range, momentum, precision, and strength,” said Al-Houthi.  

“What can stop the Yemeni military’s maritime operations is only the cessation of aggression and siege on Gaza,” he noted.

The American stubbornness and escalation of aggression result in only one outcome: the expansion of the conflict, the widening of the circle of war and events, and the tension of the situation at the regional level in general, he stated.

He went on to say that the Yemeni armed forces will continue and effectively expand the range of the operations to reach areas and locations that the enemy never expected.

Al-Houthi said what insures the navigation security in the Red Sea is for any country not to participate in the Israeli aggression against Gaza.

He said the Americans and those who drag the United States towards the militarization of the Red Sea are the ones who undermine international navigation.

“By the grace of Allah and His assistance, we aim to prevent the passage of ships associated with the Israeli enemy even through the Indian Ocean and from South Africa towards the Cape of Good Hope,” he stated.

“For this important, advanced, and significant step, we have begun to implement our operations related to it through the Indian Ocean and from South Africa towards the Cape of Good Hope,” he said.

There is absolutely no choice for the American and the British but to stop the aggression on Gaza and stop starving the people in Gaza, he declared.

“Our human conscience, our religion, our morals, our dignity, our pride, our belonging to Islam, prohibit us from watching the oppression of Palestine or remaining silent about it,” said Houthi.

He added that the Yemeni military is in continuous development of capabilities and in constant expansion of the stance in its range, effectiveness, and impact.

“The American's actions this week, involving aerial bombings and naval shelling, amounted to 32 bombing raids and strikes, which, as usual, were unsuccessful,” he revealed.

“The impact of the American raids and bombings is negligible regarding our missile and drone capabilities and in terms of continuing operations effectively to counter it, and in preventing ships associated with the Israeli enemy,” he stated.

He concluded by saying that the Yemeni armed forces are continuously escalating, and increasing capabilities to attack enemy ships. “No matter what the Americans do, they will not be able to stop us from supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have said they won’t stop retaliatory strikes.

The maritime attacks have forced some of the world’s biggest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.

Tankers are instead adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes by sailing around the continent of Africa rather than going through the Suez Canal.

Since the start of Israel's genocidal war following Operation al-Aqsa Storm by Gaza-based resistance movements on October 7, 2023, more than 31,000 Palestinians, including many women and children, have lost their lives.

The Israeli military offensive has left a trail of destruction in Gaza, leaving hospitals in ruins and displacing around half of its 2.4 million residents.

Israel has additionally enforced a comprehensive blockade on the coastal sliver, severing the supply of fuel, electricity, sustenance and water to the population residing there.

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