HRW: Ankara and Damascus exacerbate cholera crisis in NE Syria

Human Rights Watch accused the Turkish occupation state of disrupting water supplies in NE Syria, exacerbating the cholera crisis, which has been spreading in the country for about 2 months.

The organization also accused Damascus government of obstructing the delivery of aid to the Autonomous Administration areas in NE Syria in a "discriminatory manner."

"Turkish authorities have not guaranteed sufficient upstream water flow to the Syrian part of the Euphrates River, nor a continuous supply of water from the Alouk water station , that is a main source of water," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Since September, Syria has witnessed an outbreak of cholera in several governorates for the first time since 2009. The ongoing conflict since 2011 has damaged nearly two-thirds of the number of water station, half of pumping stations and a third of water tanks, according to the United Nations

Adam Kugil, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said: "This devastating cholera outbreak will not be the last waterborne disease affecting Syrians if the country's acute water crisis is not addressed immediately, especially in the Northeast."

"Turkey can and should immediately stop exacerbating the water crisis in Syria," he added.

The organization also accused the Damascus government of obstructing the delivery of aid to Autonomous Administration areas.

And considered "the long-term restrictions on aid, imposed by the Syrian government in Damascus, have left health care facilities and humanitarian organizations operating in north and east Syria struggling to deal with a disease that could spread rapidly

It quoted one aid worker saying: "There are whole families getting sick, health centers are overcrowded, and people are lying on the ground."

The organization stressed, "All parties to the conflict must allow aid workers to unimpeded access to all areas of Syria."

ANHA