The Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said that the recent earthquake in Syria and Turkey is a catastrophe in every sense of the word, pointing out that the tragedy in Syria came in major crises such as the “Covid-19” pandemic, and the political events since 2011 until today.
He added that the current international situation impedes the process of pushing aid to Syria and Turkey, pointing out that the Ukrainian-Russian war attracted many resources and capabilities that were available to rich countries, as all support went to Ukraine over the course of a year because of the situation there.
And the Secretary of the Arab League continued: When the disaster occurred, there were not enough resources to be sent to Syria or Turkey, adding: “There are sanctions, which is very disturbing for Syria.”
He stated that immediately after the disaster occurred, we made an appeal to the United Nations, Arab countries and the international community to expedite the dispatch of aid, indicating that some expect the university to move to help, but the university does not have an aid device against disasters and a financial fund.
Regarding the discrepancy in development indicators among the Arab countries, Aboul Gheit pointed to a number of factors, including the problems and wars they faced that led to wasting economic resources, adding, “For all these reasons, there are Arab societies that have succeeded in the development process, others that have been shaken, and some of which are still in decline.” When some of them were rescued, like Egypt in 2013, which returned to its normal course of development.
He added that there are Arab countries, specifically the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, that have succeeded in launching a process of balanced economic development, as they have built a person who is able to contribute to the development of society, adding that more important than the availability of wealth is the presence of Gulf leaders with a vision and the ability to anticipate the future.
And he indicated that wealth was not a criterion, as the state of Libya, for example, has a limited population and a large oil wealth that it wasted over 50 years of conflicts and lack of clarity of priorities.
He continued: As for the GCC countries, the priorities were clear, represented in human development, equal opportunities, giving the opportunity to education, and focusing on knowledge.
He stressed the importance of giving greater priority and attention to the issue of youth, adding, “Young people are the future and there is no future without them,” pointing out that if there was a vision in this country or that of an open economy capable of growing in a way that provides job opportunities, young people would not be forced to leave their countries.
He mentioned that the League of Arab States witnessed very severe tremors as a result of the exposure of many of its member states to political, economic and social crises over the last twenty years, indicating that preserving the League is essential, as it is a coordinating body for setting policies.
He explained that in the absence of the university’s role, there can be no unified joint Arab action in any field, explaining that the university has 13 ministerial councils and 13 organizations working in various fields, including health, social security and education.
#Aboul #Gheit #Arab #League #disaster #aid #fund