A 3.3 magnitude tremor struck 29km northwest of Lattakia, the National Earthquake Center announced Sunday.
The quake occurred at 10:27 a.m. at a depth of 26km, the center said in a statement to SANA.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency
Health Ministry launches coronavirus vaccination campaign in several provinces
The Ministry of Health launched an intensive national coronavirus vaccination campaign, targeting above-18 people in different provinces.
8022 health workers distributed in 20 hospitals, 865 health centers and 423 mobile teams are participating in the campaign, which will last till March 30th, according to the Director of Primary Health Care at the Ministry, Dr. Razan Tarabishi.
Tarabishi told SANA that the campaign aims to enhance the stability of the epidemiological situation and protect against possible severe symptoms resulting from infection with the coronavirus.
Head of Damascus Health Directorate, Dr. Mohammad Samer Shahrour, said that the number of health workers participating in the campaign in Damascus province is 459 distributed in 39 health centers, two hospitals and 25 mobile teams.
Shahrour added that the vaccine is safe, effective and recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency
Five Palestinians arrested in the West bank
The Israeli occupation forces arrested Sunday five Palestinians in the West Bank.
The occupation troops stormed Nur shams camp in Tulkarm, Huwara town in Nablus, and the arrested five Palestinians, according to Wafa News Agency.
The occupation forces tightened their military measures in the vicinity of Nablus, closing their checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the towns of Huwara, Deir Sharaf, Sarra, Al-Murabba’ah, and Beit Furik hindering the Palestinians’ movement.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency
Sabbagh to Ministers of Agriculture: Intensifying joint action to achieve the supreme Arab interest
Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Hammoudeh Sabbagh, met with the Ministers of Agriculture in Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, Khaled Al-Hanifat, Abbas Al-Alaywi and Abbas Al-Haj Hassan, who are participating in the 4th meeting of Agriculture Ministers which kicked off Sunday at Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus.
During the meeting, Sabbagh stressed the need to intensify the joint Arab parliamentary and governmental action between Syria and its neighboring Arab countries, to achieve the supreme Arab interest.
The Speaker pointed to the importance of the role of Arab parliaments in unifying agricultural legislation and giving it special importance, in a way that contributes to achieving food security and self-sufficiency for all Arab countries.
Sabbagh indicated that Syria is looking forward to more cooperation and coordination with all Arab countries in various fields.
Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Mohammad Hassan Qatana, stressed the importance of boosting cooperation and unifying agricultural policies between Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, supporting these policies by international organizations, and achieving similarity in standard specifications between these countries.
The Iraqi Minister of Agriculture referred to the negative effects and repercussions that the Iraqi and Syrian people face as a result of the acts of the “Daesh” terrorist organization as well as the blockade imposed on Syria, which exacerbated the living conditions of the Syrians.
Jordanian Minister of Agriculture stressed the importance of achieving a flow of commodities and products among the four Arab countries participating in today’s meeting in Damascus.
The Lebanese Minister of Agriculture stressed that inter-Arab relations must be strengthened and developed in all fields and Arab integration should be achieved, especially in the field of agriculture and trade exchange.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency
Quartet meeting of Agriculture Ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria starts in Damascus
Activities of the 4th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria kicked off Sunday at Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus.
The two-day meeting will discuss outcomes realized during the 4-way meetings held in the past year in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, in addition to means of enhancing trade exchange and food security, mechanisms to support regional projects, confront climate challenges and land degradation, and improve agricultural production in the four countries.
The meetings will also include dialogue sessions, a presentation of the strategies of the agricultural sector and the agricultural calendar of the four countries, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the agricultural field, followed by a day visit to research and scientific centers specialized in the agricultural sector.
In his remarks at the opening of the meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Mohammad Hassan Qatana said that a memorandum of understanding will be signed for cooperation in the agricultural field, marking a starting point towards a better future for the four Arab countries.
In turn, Jordanian Agriculture Minister Khaled Hanifat praised the strong ties between the four neighboring countries in the social, cultural, commercial, political and agricultural fields.
While the Iraqi minister, Abbas Al-Alewi, stressed the importance of agricultural integration between the fourth nations in the face of the serious challenges of climate change and the successive crises that affected the supply of cereals and food prices.
Better trade is coming to facilitate trade in agricultural products and develop technical cooperation in the agricultural and animal sectors, Al-Alaywi added.
In the same context, the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, asserted that Arab food security is a priority.
“We are here to put all our potentials in favor of a joint Arab effort, and we are a nation capable of making the future,” Hassan said, adding that climate change and global warming are issues that concern the whole world.
During the meeting that is held under the slogan “For regional agro economic integration”, the four ministers analyze ways to increase trade, support regional agricultural projects, improve agricultural production and achieve food security.
Also, climate challenges, land degradation and the strategies of the agricultural sector and the agricultural agenda of the four countries will be discussed, in addition to the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the agricultural field.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency