Old cars are killing us [Archives:2002/50/Health]

BY YASSER AL MAYASSI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Old cars which pollute the air with emissions are causing growing environmental and health problems in Yemen.
Since 1990, Yemen has been focusing more on its environment administration. An official institution has been charged with environmental affairs and protection for which it provides a number of environmental laws and programs nationwide.
As a result, an environmental protection law was issued in 1995, determining the standards of air quantity to insure environmental and public health protection as well as the cultural and urban heritage of historical cities. But it was never activated.
Now the government has started to feel the seriousness of the problem, so a special committee was formulated from the Shoura Council in order to study the project adding tax to the fuel price to put an end to damage from old cars.
These procedures come after the negative effects of the secondhand cars and the pollutions it cause for environment specially these shifted to Diesel. Such negative affects became a disturbing problem threatening the people directly.
The effects of diesel remains a danger that threatens the respiratory system, cancer, and suffering of people living among pollution.
The last traffic statistics indicate that the cars in Yemeni cities exceed one million. It is expected that the number will be 1.25 million in the coming ten years.
What adds to the pollution problem is that Sana’a is 2,223 meters high and surrounded by mountains which hinder the air stream of city.

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