The impact of years of conflict-related environmental damage in Syria will have long-term repercussions on the livelihoods of civilians that urgently need to be mitigated, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned on the side-lines of the Brussels III conference on Syria.
After eight years of war, Syria lies in tatters, its resources contaminated and its land riddled by trenches and unexploded ordinance. FAO Deputy Director-General Daniel Gustafson told The National much can and should be done to rebuild rural livelihoods, but the country's political situation means red lines must not be crossed.
“Much of the population is rural and we can get people producing again on a small scale without huge investments,” said Mr Gustafson. “That’s the bigger strategy.”
This strategy is also the only viable option for an organisation caught between donors’ wishes and the responsibility towards its member states. Syria is one of FAO’s 194 member nations and the embattled regime of President Bashar Al Assad is still the legitimate interlocutor within the international body.
FAO therefore works in close coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, but is also bound by donors to avoid giving financial assistance to a government accused of war crimes against its own population.
“There are limitations from the donor community on how they want their money to be used and they are real clear,” Mr Gustafson said.
This makes long-term rehabilitation projects impossible to carry out and shifts the focus of the organisation on community-level projects.
“We are not going to do reconstruction, that’s not going to happen,” Mr Gustafson said. “There are red lines on what you can do and what you can’t do.”
Almost 42 per cent of the population in Syria is estimated to live in rural areas, according to the World Bank. FAO is prioritising helping the most vulnerable improve their access to food, nutrition and income through seed assistance and animal vaccination project.
Catering to the 10 million people who are estimated to be food insecure inside Syria will also require natural resource management and rehabilitation. “There is a lot of water infrastructure [reparation] and a lot of remediation of the land that is going to have to be done,” Mr Gustafson said.
Water resources and conflict-related pollution must be prioritised, according to FAO, which is preparing to attend the international Water Desalination Conference in Cairo in April, focusing on desalination researches, technologies, economies and sustainability in the Arab region.
Despite the political constraints, Mr Gustafson said that “at all points along the crisis there are things that you can do to help people [inside Syria].”
The EU will be making its pledges for humanitarian aid to the Syrian people on Thursday. As food insecurity levels are expected to remain high, strengthening agricultural production is essential to ensure availability and access to food.
FAO requires $120 million (Dh440.7ml) to assist 3.5 million people from January to December 2019.
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
Essentials The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours. The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
What are the influencer academy modules?
Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
Cinematography, shots and movement.
All aspects of post-production.
Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
