Envoy Hails UN Approval of Iran-Proposed Resolution on Dust Pollution
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gholam Ali Khoshroo hailed the United Nations’ approval of a resolution on dust pollution proposed by the Islamic Republic as “a step forward” to resolve the “national and international problem”.
Speaking to reporters in New York on Wednesday, Khoshroo pointed to the Iranian-proposed resolution to tackle fine particles, which was approved by the UN General Assembly earlier in the day, and said, “The people of our country are suffering from the effects of fine particles.”
“The Iranian mission in New York is well aware the problem, and for this reason, it has put the issue on its agenda,” he said.
He further pointed to the intensive talks over the past two and a half months, which led to the support of all countries for the resolution, and said, “The resolution explicitly emphasizes that fine particles have a serious impact on people’s health.
“It calls on the United Nations, in particular the World Health Organization, to adopt a global strategy to help the countries affected by dust particles and give them serious assistance.”
Confronting dust pollution requires a serious determination at the national as well as regional and international levels, he said, adding that this resolution provides the ground for regional and international cooperation in the area.
Iranian residents in the western and southwestern provinces that border Iraq are facing a growing trend in the influx of fine particles, which are generated by drought-hit marshlands in neighboring countries.
The disruptive dust storms have pushed pollution in those border areas to alarming levels, raising health concerns.
The particles, carried by winds, can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing serious diseases such as lung cancer, asthma and heart problems.
