Foreign Ministry: Cutting off water main supply by terrorists is a war crime

Damascus – Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said on Thursday that cutting off water supply in Damascus is a war crime and a crime against humanity which comes in a series of violations of the international law and a series of criminal acts perpetrated by armed terrorist groups in the Syrian main cities, particularly in Damascus and Aleppo.

“Jabhat al-Nusra and its affiliated criminal gangs cut off water supply in Wadi Barada and al-Fijah spring in Damascus countryside on December 24th, 2016 through detonating the main water supply pump which feeds Damascus, yet, they also polluted the water with diesel , depriving Damascus city from nearly 80% of water resources and causing a big suffering for millions of residents in Damascus city,” the Foreign Ministry said in two letters sent to UN Secretary General and President of Security Council.

The Ministry added that the Government of Syrian Arab republic regrets the international silence, particularly the silence and hypocrisy of countries that pretend keenness on the Syrian citizens’ rights; it also regrets the silence of international organizations which don’t condemn this heinous crime, SANA reported.

“The government of Syrian Arab Republic calls on the Security Council and UN member states to condemn the crimes of terrorists that target the civilians and to take necessary procedures to support the Syrian government’s procedures to restore water to Damascus city,” the Ministry affirmed.

It demanded the UN to take deterrent and punitive measures against countries that support terrorism in Syria and the terrorist entities which use the water as a collective punishment against millions of Syrians, Syria also calls on the UN to impalement Security Council resolutions concerning counter-terrorism, particularly resolutions No. 2170, 2178 and 2199.