Makhlouf: International community should support Syria to overcome environmental problems caused by terrorism

Damascus (ST):  The Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Engineer Hussein Makhlouf, called for the necessity of collective action to confront the environmental crises that Syria was exposed to as a result of the terrorism that was exported to it.He spoke about the need to exchange experiences  and to develop national plans to manage environmental and natural disasters and raise awareness to reduce their occurrence.

During his participation in the meeting of the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly, which was held in Nairobi via video conference technology, under the title “The Contribution of the Environmental Dimension to Sustainable Development in Building a Resilient and Inclusive World in the Post-Corona Pandemic”, Makhlouf said that  during the past years, Syria was subjected to a lot of destruction, devastation, and deliberate and systematic abuse carried out by terrorist groups supported by some countries, which affected the Syrian people, their constituents, environment and livelihood, and the damage affected health facilities, water, treatment and energy plants, and exacerbated environmental and life problems.

Makhlouf  referred to the need for the international community to support Syria to overcome the environmental problems it faced as a result of organized terrorism, pointing out that the unilateral economic measures imposed by the US and the European Union increased the suffering of the Syrian people and had the greatest impact on their ability to respond to the Corona pandemic. He  stressed that Syria has made great efforts  for dealing with its repercussions and negative effects on the citizen’s life and livelihood.

The Minister indicated that despite the fierce attack on Syria, it has worked, based on its obligations, to provide a healthy environment that ensures the safety of citizens, and continues to provide the necessary services through the implementation of plans and strategies to confront environmental pollution in all its forms and expand the use of renewable and clean energies, increasing public environmental awareness and enhancing the role of society in protecting the environment.

K.Q