Mazen Alloush, director of public relations at Syria’s General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs, denied reports circulating about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in Syria, a claim Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture cited in its decision to suspend the transit of Syrian livestock through Iraqi territory toward Gulf countries.
Alloush told SANA on Saturday, May 23, that “what has been circulated is a baseless claim and is not supported by any official reports or confirmed epidemiological cases on the ground.”
Alloush added, “Direct contact was made with the Iraqi side, and we clearly informed them that this matter is completely denied, and that there is no epidemic or disease outbreak in Syria that would require such measures.”
The authority’s public relations director stressed that decisions related to veterinary quarantine, or to banning imports and transit, “must be based on documented and confirmed cases in accordance with established international veterinary standards, not on unverified information or inaccurate estimates.”
Exports Continue Through Other Routes
Alloush confirmed that Syrian livestock exports “are still continuing normally through Jordan, as well as through Syrian ports, without any health observations or objections from the competent authorities in importing countries,” saying this “clearly refutes the circulating claims about the existence of any epidemic outbreak.”
He also confirmed that the General Authority for Border Crossings and Customs continues to coordinate with the relevant Syrian bodies to communicate with the Iraqi side “to address this file and halt any unjustified measures that could harm the interests of breeders and traders, and the movement of trade exchange between the two countries.”
Alloush revealed that the al-Yaarubiyah border crossing witnessed, on Friday, May 22, the passage of a new transit shipment coming from Turkish territory and heading to Iraq, a step that “reflects the growth of commercial transport movement and the return of international transit routes to operation through Syrian territory after years of suspension.”
The Iraqi Decision
The Syrian denial came in response to a statement issued by Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture, in which it announced the suspension of transit movement for live animals coming from Syria and heading toward Iraq and Gulf countries, in a measure it described as “temporary and precautionary.”
In its statement published on Friday, May 22, the ministry said the decision came after receiving accurate information confirming the spread of foot-and-mouth disease, which infects cattle and sheep, in a number of Syrian governorates.
Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture said the immediate measure aims to prevent the spread or cross-border transmission of epidemic diseases
The ministry stressed that health and veterinary measures are applied “firmly and without discrimination to all countries,” based on official reports, the epidemiological monitoring system, and continuous follow-up of the health situation in neighboring countries.
Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture warned against attempts to spread misleading information aimed at confusing citizens and casting doubt on the efficiency of the veterinary procedures in place, affirming that its top priority is preserving food security, protecting citizens’ health, and safeguarding the country’s livestock from any epidemic risks.
Alternative Route Toward the Gulf
The suspension decision came less than two weeks after Iraq’s General Authority of Customs announced on Monday, May 11, that it had received its first shipment under the International Road Transport, TIR, system, coming from Syria toward Kuwait through the al-Walid crossing, opposite the al-Tanf crossing on the Syrian border.
Syria had begun exporting its sheep to Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, through Iraq instead of Jordan, after Jordan imposed fees that drew objections from Syrian exporters.
Official Jordanian sources estimated the cost of veterinary and logistical services per head of sheep at about $29, while Syrian exporters said the fees reached $60.
Researcher Mulham al-Jizmati, from Karam Shaar Advisory, said in a previous interview with Enab Baladi that resorting to the al-Tanf crossing as an alternative route cannot be viewed merely as a way to bypass a financial cost, but rather as a practical test of Syria’s ability to diversify its trade corridors and avoid remaining hostage to a single crossing, however geographically shorter it may be.
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