Residents see the pesticide spraying campaign in the town of Derik as insufficient

Derik – North-Press Agency

Solnar Muhammad

On Monday, al-Shaab Municipality of the Autonomous Administration in the town of Derik, far northeast of Syria, began a campaign of spraying insecticides in the Judi neighborhood, known as Khairkan, in the town.

The officer at the Environmental Department in the Derik Municipality, Abboud Taha, told North-Press that the campaign will target all homes in the Judi neighborhood, where they will be sprayed with an emulsified liquid "Tiger" brand insecticide that is used to control flying and crawling insects such as flies, mosquitoes, ants, and others.

Taha added that the campaign aimed to eliminate insects that cause various diseases, and that all neighborhoods of Derik will be targeted.

He said that they will start another phase at the beginning of the summer, during which a foggy pesticide will be sprayed using special mechanisms.

Taha noted that the liquid they spray is effective for two to three weeks.

Abdul-Zaid, a resident of Judi neighborhood, demanded the spraying be re-done due to the widespread presence of flies and mosquitoes as a result of the presence of animal barns in the neighborhood, which are accompanied by a bad smell, forcing them to stay in their homes.

In turn, Khadija Hussein, the co-chair of the Judi neighborhood’s commune, said that the suffering of the neighborhood's residents increases during the summer because of the presence of animal barns in the neighborhood.

She indicated that they had repeatedly called for their removal, to no avail, demanding a radical solution to the problem of the barns.

Judi neighborhood is considered one of the most densely populated neighborhoods, as it is inhabited by about 300 families who suffer from poor services, as there is no sewage network and waste is spreading, in addition to the presence of more than 30 barns for livestock within the neighborhood, according to the neighborhood’s commune.