Climate threats aggravate war devastation in Gaza: Jordanian king

By Mahmoud Barakat

ANKARA (AA) – Jordanian King Abdullah II on Friday said that climate change "cannot be addressed in isolation" from humanitarian tragedies, including the war in the Gaza Strip, according to Jordan's official Petra news agency.

"We cannot talk about climate change in isolation from the humanitarian tragedies unfolding around us," King Abdullah II said at the World Climate Action Summit COP28 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"In Gaza, where people are living with little clean water and the bare minimum of food supplies, climate threats magnify the devastation of war," the Jordanian monarch asserted.

Referring to the displacement of 1.7 million people in the enclave, the Jordanian king stressed, "As we work to catch up on the lost time and progress, we cannot forget the most vulnerable."

He also thanked UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his country's "innovative role in galvanizing international efforts to counter the impact of climate change on our world."

COP28 is attracting over 180 heads of state and governments from across the globe. Noteworthy is the substantial number of attendance requests, exceeding 500,000 participants.

The conference will continue until Dec. 12.