Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220913

A30 world news
Diamars 13 september 2022

In parts of Mideast, power generators spew toxic fumes 24/7

(AP) — They literally run billions of dollars meant to
the country. In parking repair and upgrade it. Some
lots, on flatbed trucks, 17 billion cubic meters of gas
hospital courtyards and from Iraq’s wells are burned
rooftops, private gen- every year as waste, because
erators are ubiquitous in it hasn’t built the infrastruc-
parts of the Middle East, ture to capture it and convert
spewing hazardous fumes it to electricity to power Iraqi
into homes and businesses homes.
24 hours a day.
In Libya, a country prized
As the world looks for renew- for its light and sweet crude
able energy to tackle climate oil, electricity networks have
change, millions of people buckled under years of civil
around the region depend war and the lack of a central
almost completely on diesel- government.
powered private generators “The power cuts last the
to keep the lights on because greater part of the day, when
war or mismanagement have electricity is mostly needed,”
gutted electricity infrastruc- said Muataz Shobaik, the
ture. owner of a butcher shop in
Experts call it national suicide the city of Benghazi, in Lib-
from an environmental and ya’s east, who uses a noisy
health perspective. generator to keep his coolers
creases eutrophication — the temperatures and limited wa- on politicians’ factionalism running.
“Air pollution from die- excess build-up of nutrients ter resources even without and conflicting patronage in-
sel generators contains in water that ultimately kills the growing impact of global terests. The country’s few ag- “Every business has to have
more than 40 toxic air con- aquatic plants. warming. ing, heavy-fuel oil plants long a backup off-grid solution
taminants, including many Since they usually use diesel, ago became unable to meet now,” he said. Diesel fumes
known or suspected cancer- generators also produce far The reliance on generators demand. from his and neighboring
causing substances,” said more climate change-induc- results from state failure. In Iraq, meanwhile, sits on shops’ machines hung thick
Samy Kayed, managing di- ing emissions than, for exam- Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and some of the world’s biggest in the air amid the oppressive
rector and co-founder of the ple, a natural gas power plant elsewhere, governments oil reserves. Yet scorching heat.
Environment Academy at the does, he said. can’t maintain a function- summer-time heat is always
American University of Bei- ing central power network, accompanied by the roar of Since Israel bombed the only
rut in Lebanon. The pollutants caused by whether because of war, con- neighborhood generators, as power plant in the Hamas-
massive generators add to the flict or mismanagement and residents blast ACs around ruled territory in 2014, the
Greater exposure to these many environmental woes corruption. the clock to keep cool. station has never reached full
pollutants likely increases of the Middle East, which capacity. Gaza only gets about
respiratory illnesses and car- is one of the most vulner- Lebanon, for example, has Repeated wars over the de- half the power it needs from
diovascular disease, he said. able regions in the world to not built a new power plant cades have wrecked Iraq’s the plant and directly from
It also causes acid rain that the impact of climate change. in decades. Multiple plans for electricity networks. Cor- Israel. Cutoffs can last up to
harms plant growth and in- The region already has high new ones have run aground ruption has siphoned away 16 hours a day.

Pakistani PM says his flooded country

faces food shortages

across the country and forced the initial estimates. before September 16. The
them to move to safer places. U.S. authorities also plan to
Pakistan, the country’s mili- That’s forced Pakistan and distribute cash among needy
tary, U.N. agencies and local the United Nations to urge people.
charities are providing food the international community
to these flood victims. to send more help. Planning Minister Ahsan
Iqbal said at a news confer-
Pakistan heavily relies on its In response, U.N. agencies ence Monday that Pakistani
(AP) — Pakistan is grap- Rescue Committee estimated agriculture and occasionally and various countries, includ- authorities and international
pling with food shortages that the floods have damaged exports its surplus wheat to ing the United States, have aid agencies are assessing the
after deadly floods left the more than 3.6 million acres Afghanistan and other coun- sent more than 60 planeloads flood damage that has affect-
impoverished country’s of crops in Pakistan. tries. Now it is in talks to of aid. Since last week, Wash- ed 33 million people. He said
agriculture belt under- import badly needed wheat ington has sent three military the government would pro-
water, the prime minister A government statement said and vegetables, including to planes to deliver food. ceed with transparency in the
told the Turkish president Sharif briefed Erdogan about people not directly affected distribution of aid.
by phone, as authorities the government’s relief ac- by floods. Three more U.S. military
scaled up efforts Monday tivities and sought assistance planes carrying aid were Meanwhile, the IRC, a
to deliver food, tents and from Turkey in overcoming Until last week, floodwater to land in Pakistan’s worst prominent international aid
other items. the “food shortage.” Sharif was covering around a third flood-hit southern Sindh group, on Monday warned of
also sought help from Turkey of Pakistan, including the province later Monday, ac- mounting economic losses,
Shahbaz Sharif spoke to on reconstruction work in country’s agriculture belt in cording to a Foreign Ministry likely leading to food short-
Turkish President Recep the flood-hit areas. eastern Punjab and southern statement. ages and an increase in vio-
Tayyip Erdogan overnight to Sundh provinces which are lence against women. In a
thank Turkey for dispatch- More than 660,000 people, the main food basket. Ini- Washington days ago set up statement, the group said
ing food, tents and medicine including women and chil- tially, Pakistan said the floods a humanitarian air bridge to the floods destroyed over
by 12 military aircraft, four dren, are living at relief camps caused $10 billion in dam- flood-ravaged Pakistan to de- 3.6 million acres of crops in
trains and Turkish Red Cres- and in makeshift homes after ages, but authorities say the liver aid through 20 flights, Pakistan.
cent trucks. The International floods damaged their homes damages are far greater than which will arrive in Pakistan