Joint #envconflictday Statement: Protecting the Environment, Protecting People

Nov 6, 2017 | Doug Weir
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NGOs and leading experts have used the United Nation’s International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict to call for greater progress in efforts to protect people and the environment from the impact of warfare. Highlighting the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen, the 32 organizations and 12 experts argue that conflict pollution, and damage to ecosystems and natural resources, pose immediate threats to human health and threaten reconstruction and peacebuilding. The signatories, which include humanitarian, environmental, legal and development organizations, as well as experts in healthcare and conservation, highlight five priorities for the international community that would minimise harm to people and the environment they depend on.