Damascus, SANA- A coordination meeting for the national response to the drought crisis in Syria, called for integrating local and international efforts to address the growing challenges resulting from drought that affects various Syrian regions.
The meeting held in Damascus was attended by representatives of relevant Syrian ministries and a number of local and international organizations operating in Syria.
They discussed developing a comprehensive national strategy that identifies response priorities and existing gaps to build a comprehensive action matrix that ensures rapid response to the drought crisis.
Participants called for establishing a comprehensive early warning system to determine the type and timing of the response, and utilize the data available in the Early Warning Unit at the Ministry of Agriculture to develop the matrix.
Some participants pointed out that “the harsh climate conditions during the current agricultural season in Syria are the worst in nearly 70 years”. It demands “urgent work for water harvesting, limiting the random drilling of wells, and replacing the vegetation cover, large areas of which have been lost due to fires” they added.
Deputy Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Ahmed Qaziz said that “drought has become a cross-sectoral problem, and that there must be an entity working to coordinate all efforts and mobilize resources to integrate work, thus developing the necessary strategy to respond to the worsening drought crisis”.
For his part, Youssef Sharaf, Deputy Minister of Local Administration for Environmental Affairs, emphasized that this meeting constitutes a foundation for coordinating efforts, finding appropriate solutions to the drought phenomenon, developing strategic plans to combat it.
Dr. Hassan Khansa, Director of Emergency Preparedness and Readiness at the Aga Khan Foundation, emphasized the importance of the meeting, which stems from the need to focus on preparedness before responding to ensure a better response.
He explained that the drought phenomenon has negatively impacted all sectors, and therefore any disaster must be addressed by sharing information and incorporating it into a comprehensive response plan.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had previously revealed that approximately 2.5 million hectares of wheat-planted land in Syria had been damaged by adverse weather conditions, threatening more than 16 million Syrians with a food security crisis.
Abdul/Fedaa
