Heritage sites in the Middle East threatened and Younesco look at culture

UNESCO takes decisions this week in about 30 sites, including prehistoric caves, ancient repression centers, forests, and marine environmental systems, the states of members requested to include the World Heritage List, which has become vulnerable to increasing risks to action Climate change And conflicts, according to the General Director of the Organization, Audrey Azoulay.

The World Heritage Committee in UNESCO started on Monday in Paris The meetings of its forty -seventh session of Labbit in these requests submitted by several countries, including Poland, Cambodia, Sierra Leone and the United Arab Emirates.

“Culture should play a major role in facing the current challenges, whether climate change or war scars,” said Azoulay, who has headed UNESCO since 2017 at the opening of the session.

It includes a list UNESCO Today, world heritage has more than 1,200 cultural, natural and mixed sites.

Among the thirtieth nominations that are taught this year, two African countries that were previously absent from the World Heritage List, as UNESCO have made its priority in recent years, the Bigagus Archipelago Reserve for the Biotechnology (Guinea Bissau) and the Gola Taiwi (Sierra Leone) forests, a haven for endangered species such as elephants.

Several proposed sites are linked to prehistoric times, such as the Migagal (stone antiquities) in Karen, west of France, or rock inscriptions on the Banguchion River in South Korea.

In addition, about 250 listed sites will be subject to review and follow -up, which provides a “comprehensive picture of world heritage, in addition to the challenges it faces,” according to Azoulay.

She warned that climatic threats are increasing, and “faces about three quarters of World Heritage sites in now severe water risks, such as water shortages or floods,” noting also the pressure of “excessive tourism that faces increasing criticism globally.”

Conflict sites

Azoulay added that half of the fifty -six sites listed on World Heritage List The nurture is now at risk, threatened by “the direct consequences of conflicts”, noting that 40 percent of the threatened sites fall into The Middle East.

UNESCO will resume its activities in Syria And it seeks to protect the National Museum In Damascus And landmarks in Aleppo city Northwest of the country.

The organization also monitors “in an active damage to the cultural sites in Gaza since October 2023,” using satellite images, and hopes to interfere in the Palestinian territories that Israel has been besieged by 21 months, “once the situation allows this,” according to Azoulay.

In parallel with the Israeli war that continues to the people of Gaza, their homes, neighborhoods, mosques, churches, universities, and hospitals, they are launch Israel A war on Gaza’s heritage and its historical monuments, as the city described as one of the oldest cities in the world has rolled over various civilizations, such as the rule of the Pharaohs, the Greeks, the Romans and the Byzantines to the Islamic era, and those eras left their material effects in it.

The Israeli destruction hand struck many of those The precious sites in the sector Within the random bombing of the sector since October 7, 2023, this report is documented with pictures and special videos the most important of these historical and archaeological monuments affected by the war.