Manbij – North-Press Agency
Saddam al-Hassan
Despite the reopening of the city's slaughterhouse in the middle of this month, butchers in the city of Manbij, northeast of Aleppo, criticized not extending the period allowed to work under the curfew.
These salesmen show their readiness to comply with any health and preventative conditions imposed by the executive authorities, as is the slaughterhouse which returned to work according to strict conditions and tightening health protection measures.
Ahmad al-Muheisen, a butcher, expressed his dissatisfaction with them not being allowed to open their stores during the curfew period, saying: “We are ready to follow all health measures dictated by the authorities. We only ask to be allowed to open our stores.”
Muhammad al-Kassar, another butcher in the city of Manbij, said that the period allocated to work from eight in the morning to twelve noon is not enough, saying: “We are committed to putting meat in the refrigerators according to the instructions of the city's health committee,” but daily profits are not enough for the required expenses, according to him, calling for extending the sales hours by one or two.
As for the city’s slaughterhouse, which was reopened on April 14th, workers continue their work by receiving the animals and supervising their slaughter, and then applying the stamp of the health committee.
Veterinarian Khaled Barkal, an official at the Manbij slaughterhouse, told North Press that “The reopening of the slaughterhouse came at the request of the people and the butchers.”
Before it was fully opened, the slaughterhouse was sterilized, in addition to taking the precautionary measures according to the decisions of the Municipality of Manbij city.
Also, working hours were set from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., with the mandate of the closure of meat stores at 12:00 p.m.
Sheep, cows, and goats are slaughtered in the slaughterhouse and transported in closed cars, covered with gauze cloth to avoid exposure to dust and dirt, before being delivered to stores where they are put into the freezer.
The co-chair of the People’s Municipality in the city of Manbij, Qasim al-Aboud, had previously said to North Press that the slaughterhouse has been opened at the request of the residents, adding that any violation of the conditions would expose its owner to a fine, and a shut down in case of repetition.