To mark World Cleanup Day, observed on 19 September, UNFICYP personnel including its Head of Mission, Ms. Elizabeth Spehar, rolled up their sleeves together with the UNFICYP Youth Champions for Environment and Peace to clean up parts of the buffer zone.
While some areas of the buffer zone are well-preserved havens for wildlife, other parts have turned into illegal dumping grounds for residents and companies from both communities. All kinds of rubbish, including plastic, construction and household waste, lie on the patrol tracks and even in agricultural fields, harming nature and constituting an eye sore.
As custodians of the buffer zone, UNFICYP decided to take action on World Cleanup Day. Together with our UNFICYP Youth Champions for Environment and Peace, the mission selected two sites, one in Nicosia and one close to Pyla, from which rubbish was cleared and properly disposed of.
For Therapoulla Kalatha, UNFICYP's Programme Management Assistant in Sector 4, participating in the cleanup was “a unique opportunity". Therapoulla is also contributing to the environment at home by recycling and believes that "a clean environment means healthier living conditions."
While we do our part to keep the island and the buffer zone a clean and green place for future generations of Cypriots from all communities to enjoy, we will not succeed alone. Join us by taking care of your own waste and help us to pick up what has been left by others. Do not throw stuff on the ground. Do sort it and take it to designated disposal and recycling facilities.
UNFICYP Youth Champions for Environment and Peace is an initiative to bring together young Cypriots from across the island who have a shared interest in the environment. It is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a blueprint to achieve a peaceful and sustainable future for all. The initiative is implemented with the generous support of the Stelios Foundation.