TEHRAN (Iran News) – Syria appealed to the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to intervene immediately and to utilize all available means in order to stop Turkish military forces from cutting off water supply to a million people in the northeastern city of Hasakah.
During a telephone conversation with Guterres on Friday, Syria’s Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Ja’afari warned about the catastrophic living conditions in the city of Hasakah and its suburbs, emphasizing that the water supply cut constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity.
Ja’afari added that Turkish forces have been using water as a weapon against local residents, arguing that the troops in control of Allouk water station have cut off water supply to Hasakah and its countryside more than 15 times over the past few days, Press TV reported.
The Syrian diplomat then expressed serious concerns over the “unbearable” situation in Hasakah amid scorching weather conditions and the coronavirus pandemic, hoping that the world body would intervene and stop the ongoing tragedy in Hasakah.
All efforts to bring the water station online have failed amid high temperatures that caused more demand for water, Mahmoud Ilkeh, the head of the water establishment in Hasakah, told Syria’s SANA news agency.
Government tankers are roaming the city of Hasakah to secure the residents’ access to drinking water, Xinhua wrote.
Guterres said he is aware of the situation in Hasakah and that he has already tasked the UN team in Syria as well as UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen to adopt all necessary measures to resolve the matter quickly, and deliver humanitarian aid to all affected people until Allouk pumping station becomes operational again.
The UN chief noted that he will exert his best efforts by contacting the Turkish government and other relevant sides to resolve the matter as soon as possible.
Turkey captured several areas in the northern countryside of Hasakah and other areas following an offensive in October last year.
- source : Iran Daily
