Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA – Syria’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari, called on the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to intervene immediately and to exert all his efforts to stop the Turkish regime’s crime of cutting off drinking water for nearly one million Syrian citizens in Hasaka and its suburbs.
Al-Jaafari’s request came during a phone call with the UN Secretary- General on Friday to inform him about the catastrophic conditions in Hasaka city and its suburbs due to drinking water being cut off, stressing that the Turkish aggressive practice constitutes a war crime and a crime against the humanity.
Al-Jaafari pointed out to the Turkish occupation forces’ use of water as a weapon against civilians by depriving more than a million civilians in Hasaka city and its suburbs of potable water, as the Turkish occupation deliberately and repeatedly cut off water from Allouk station and the wells that feed them more than 15 times for several days, using this tactic to punish the people of Hasaka for their support of the Syrian government and their rejection of Turkish occupation.
He said that the situation caused by this crime is unbearable, particularly due to the hot weather and the threat of the Coronavirus pandemic, reminding Guterres of the official letters directed to him and to the Security Council in this regard, including the complaint dated 31/05/2020, as well as Syria’s statements at the Security Council on this matter, the most recent being made on August 19th, with al-Jaafari saying that Syria is hoping that the General Secretariat will react to these letters urgently.
For his part, Guterres said that he is aware of the situation in Hasaka and that he has tasked the UN team in Syria and his Special Envoy Geir Pedersen with taking the necessary steps to address this matter, resolve it urgently, and deliver humanitarian aid to affected people until Allouk station is operational again.
He said that he could imagine the situation in light of the intense heat and absence of potable water, adding that this situation must be resolved urgently, and that he will exert his best efforts by contacting the Turkish government and other sides to put pressure and resolve this matter as soon as possible.
Guterres also said he will task Pedersen with addressing this matter by meeting the representatives of the US, Russia, and Turkey in Geneva on Monday on the sideline of the meetings of the committee for discussing the constitution.
Baraa Ali / Hazem Sabbagh
