Armenia "facing serious environmental threats because of Azerbaijan's war"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Minister of Environment Romanos Petrosyan has sent a letter to the Executive Secretaries of Environmental Conventions, international organizations and partners, drawing their attention to the dire consequences of the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan in September.

According the Minister, at this stage it is impossible to manage the consequences of the war single-handedly. Petrosyan urged the international community to get involved in the thorough assessment of the environmental damage in Armenia and help the country alleviate the critical situation in border areas.

Petrosyan reminded that Azerbaijan used internationally-banned cluster munitions and weapons containing white phosphorus or termites against the civilian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

"Such actions have caused irreparable damage to the environment, from large-scale forest fires to poisoning of air, soil, water, flora and fauna," the Minister wrote in his letter.

"Armenia is facing a high risk of environmental hazards, in particular, loss of forested areas, forest degradation, increased risk of forest fires.