Yemen, Lebanon heritage sites added to UNESCO endangered list

An ancient Yemeni kingdom and a Lebanese modernist concrete fair park were added on Wednesday to UNESCOs list of World Heritage sites in danger the latest entries from The Middle EastThe seven major landmarks of the Ancient Yemenite Kingdom of Saba and the Rachid Karami International Fair in Tripoli were inscribed on the UN agency list in an emergency procedure in hopes of better preserving the neglected sites Now added both sites will have access to enhanced technical and financial assistance UNESCO saidThe preIslamic Yemeni kingdom of Saba which once stretched from Sanaa to Marib now lies on one of the major front lines dividing Houthi rebels from Saudi coalition forces The threat of destruction from the ongoing conflict was cited as the key reason to add the seven landmarks that include several ancient temples a dam and the ruins of old MaribYemens ruinous conflict began in 2014 when Iranianbacked rebels swept down from the mountain and occupied the capital Sanaa along with much of Northern Yemen ousting the internationally recognised government A Saudiled coalition armed with US and UK weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemens exiled government in March 2015A barrage of Saudiled airstrikes has destroyed historic mud homes in Northern Saada the historic Houthi heartlands and damaged much of the over 2500yearold Old City in the centre of Sanaa also a UNESCO World Heritage siteAlso read ASI probes risks to UNESCO World Heritage Khajuraho templesIn 2015 airstrikes partially destroyed a section of the Great Marib Dam near the Awwam Temple one of the seven landmarksLebanons modernist Rachid Karami International Fair was designed during the 1960s as part of a wider policy to modernise the country Funding shortages continually interrupted construction before the halfbuilt site was eventually abandoned following the outbreak of civil war in the mid1970sIn recent years the 70hectare 173acre site headed by a boomerangshaped concert hall has caught the attention of several developers UNESCO said it added the site following concerns over its state of conservation and fears that a new renovation could undermine the integrity of the complexSince 2019 Lebanon has been embroiled in an economic crisis with the currency having lost over 90 per cent of its value since then The financial crisis has plunged threequarters of the population into poverty with millions struggling to cope with some of the worlds sharpest inflationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever