Damascus appeals to UN to intervene, provide relief to Hasaka people

SANAA, Aug 23 (YPA) – The Syrian government has called on the United Nations to immediately intervene to stop the Turkish crime against about one million Syrians in Hasakah Governorate, in the northeast of the country.
The Syrian government demanded the United Nations to intervene immediately to stop the Turkish crime. The permanent representative of Syria to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, said, in a phone call, with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, that the Turkish aggressive behavior to cut off drinking water to Hasakah is a war crime and a crime against humanity.

Guterres responded to al-Jaafari’s message by confirming that he will do his best to resolve the issue, stressing that he will assign his special envoy, Pedersen, to work on addressing this issue by meeting with representatives of the United States, Russia and Turkey in Geneva next Monday.

The city of Hasaka and its countryside entered its tenth day without water, after the Turkish side cut off water from civilians in the area for the thirteenth time since it occupied Ras al-Ain and its countryside, as part of what is known as Operation Peace Spring, which it launched last year.

Turkey cut off water in response to the so-called Kurdish Autonomous Administration cutting off electricity to the cities of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad, after reducing the Turkish side of water imports from 100,000 cubic meters to ten thousand cubic meters only, amid Russian efforts to solve the problem and return water to the region. Where the Russian and Turkish sides agreed to supply Hasaka and its countryside from the Alouk water station, in return for supplying Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad from Tishreen dam in Aleppo countryside.

The Syrian Red Crescent issued a humanitarian call to save the citizens of Hasaka from thirst, considering that the suffering experienced by the people is contrary to international humanitarian law. In addition to preventing the Red Crescent teams from safely reaching the Alouk station, to repair its faults and secure the access of drinking water to civilians.