By Steffie Banatvala
Mountains of rubble in Aleppo threaten public health and recovery
STORY: Fourteen years of civil war, and a devastating earthquake have left Syria deeply scarred.This is Aleppo – where mountains of rubble seriously hinder reconstruction and threaten public health.Syria鈥檚 civil defense is aiming to remove 105,000 cubic meters of rubble, only 40% of what鈥檚 on the main streets alone.That鈥檚 according to its director Mohammed al-Rajab, who says this will take a full year of continuous effort.鈥淓nvironmental damages and the spread of pollution and rodents are preventing people from returning to their homes or getting back to their normal life. Unexploded ordnance due to bombardment and air strikes spread in this place and might explode at any moment affecting children, women in the residential neighborhoods. There鈥檚 also the issue of the psychological state and the lack of hope felt by the community with the existence of this rubble.鈥漃eople are also trying to restore their lives via their own means鈥nd resident Khaled Fadel Ahmed explains what it’s like living amongst these ruins.鈥淚t’s been five, six years that this neighborhood is suffering from this rubble. People suffer the most from it, in addition to diseases, breathing problems and damage to nature. And it contains a lot of insects and reptiles such as snakes and scorpions, as well as harming animals.鈥漊.S. President Donald Trump announced in May that Washington would lift sanctions on Syria – an order he signed on Monday.Following this May announcement, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa said he was committed to enabling national and foreign capital to contribute to reconstruction.A UN Mine Action Service report in June said that said that cross-border mine action partners have conducted 1,500 clearance operations in Northwest Syria.Adding that they鈥檝e disposed of over 2,000 unexploded ordnance items, identified over 140 minefields and 450 hazardous areas across the country.Despite the scale of this challenge, smaller initiatives are also underway to recycle rubble for construction use.Workers in an Aleppo factory sift through debris to produce concrete blocks and sidewalk tiles that can be used to rehabilitate neighborhoods.But, its manager said, more machinery and investment are needed to expand this effort.