Prince Charles, in an interview released Monday, says he believes climate change is to blame for the civil war in Syria which has led to the deaths of more than 250,000 people.
The prince told Sky News that he evidence indicates global climate change caused drought in the region which led to mass migration and friction over limited resources.
"We're seeing a classic case of not dealing with the problem, because, I mean, it sounds awful to say, but some of us were saying 20 years ago that if we didn't tackle these issues, you would see ever greater conflict over scarce resources and ever greater difficulties over drought, and the accumulating effect of climate change, which means that people have to move," Charles said in the interview.
The war in Syria – which began in March 2011 -- has displaced an estimated 11 million people with 3.8 million refugees having left the country. According to a United Nations report, around 60 percent of Syrians who remain in the country are unemployed and live in extreme poverty.
The heir to the British throne, who is set to address a global climate conference in Paris next week, was asked by Sky News if there was direct link between climate change, conflict and terrorism. “Absolutely,” Charles answered.
"And, in fact, there's very good evidence indeed that one of the major reasons for this horror in Syria, funnily enough, was a drought that lasted for about five or six years, which meant that huge numbers of people in the end had to leave the land."
According to Sky News, the interview was filmed three weeks ago, before the terror attacks in Paris on Nov. 13.
About the Author
