Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA- The terrorist war imposed on Syria since 2011 has caused more than $1.2 billion worth of damage to its water sector, Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh, Head of the Syrian delegation to the UN conference entitled “Water for Sustainable Development”, has affirmed.
Sabbagh denounced in his speech before the Conference that illegal Western coercive measures impeded the efforts of the Syrian State to secure financing for water projects and restricted the importation of equipment necessary to restore damaged facilities, maintain the projects that are in operation and develop the infrastructure of this vital sector.
He said that the percentage of damage in the water sector in Syria amounted to 41 percent and affected water sources and facilities that supply more than 75 percent of the population, condemning the use of drinking water as a weapon by terrorist groups in Hasaka province in recent years, which caused enormous suffering to the citizens.
Sabbagh stressed that the devastating earthquake hit Syria on February 6 caused the destruction of many infrastructure facilities related to the water sector, such as 80 water tanks that supply drinking water to one and a half million people in six governorates.
Finally, he denounced that Israeli occupation continues to steal water from the occupied Syrian Golan, ignoring international laws and regulations.
“The occupation authorities are exploiting the waters of Lake Tiberias and the Banyas River and their springs, as well as looting the water of the Raqqad basin, a tributary of the Yarmouk basin,” Sabbagh concluded.
Fedaa al-Rhayiah/ MHD Ibrahim
