20,000 new cancer cases annually Exotic pesticides destroy our life [Archives:2005/848/Health]
June 6 2005
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At the beginning of 2004, eight people died in Hajah because of the banned insecticides that had spread thoughout Yemen. Reality shows that these insecticides kill tens of victims every day in addition to the damages on the human, soil and environment.
In an interview, Dr. Abdulrahman Thabet, lecturer of Poison and Environment in Sana'a University, said to YT that: 'If we look at the development of importing insecticides to Yemen during the last ten years, we will find out that 1996 occupies the top of the list in terms of the chemical substances imported illegally.
How are insecticides imported?
Insecticides are imported with a license issued by the concerned authority, Public Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. These licenses are given to the people who import insecticides for the insects that damage plants. The law that organizes these affairs is Law No. (25) of 1999. There are some conditions that should be answered before releasing the imported substances such as: checking the documents presented by those who ask for the license or updating the license, as well as registering permitted substances. Each of the procedures have its own officials who are delegated these tasks. Registration in these cases shows the efficiency of substances that are imported and their effect on the human, animal, plant, and the environment.
But, Eng. Abdullah Hamoud Al-Haj, from Insecticides Department and Head of the Control and Inspection Department, confirmed that all procedures are not implemented and there is a state of lack of care to apply them.
\”Cooperation among specialized people is completely absent when taking any decree or extended procedure. Therefore what is applied is the very routine on which the licenses are based. Things go on according to the recommendations
