At least three UNESCO World Heritage sites, in Iran, Israel and Lebanon, have been damaged by the war in the Middle East and several others are threatened, the UN Agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday, showing its “deep concern.”
In a statement, UNESCO said it has information that they have been affected the Golestan Palace in Tehran, the White City of Tel Aviv and the port of Tire in Lebanonwhich are part of its World Heritage list.
In addition, he noted that there are others “under threat” in the region affected by the conflict, especially in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
In this regard, he insisted that he has communicated to all parties and will continue to do so the coordinates of the World Heritage sites, but also those that are part of other national lists and those that are under reinforced protection so that they can take precautions to avoid damage.
He also recalled the obligations derived from the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Beyond expressing its “deep concern for the protection of education, culture, media and the environment in the context of hostilities in the Middle East and beyond”, the organization called for “maximum restraint” and to take measures to preserve all these assets.
“The continuation of hostilities – UNESCO noted – raises serious concerns about the functioning of educational systems, security for learning, access to information and the preservation of spaces dedicated to knowledge and scientific cooperation.”
