Violation of the right to water in Aleppo unacceptable

Syria: Violation of the right to water in Aleppo unacceptable, say UN experts

GENEVA (16 May 2014) – “Interference with water supplies even in the context of an ongoing conflict is entirely unacceptable,” warned today two UN experts* on the rights to water and sanitation, and to health, expressing concern that “large numbers of residents of the city of Aleppo have been forced to use non-potable water, making many ill.”

“Depriving people of their right to access safe water, not only denies them a basic and fundamental human right, but also an essential element to support life and health,” stressed the experts. They added that “if deliberate, the targeting of a civilian population to deprive it of essential supplies such as water is a matter of very serious concern, and a clear breach of both international humanitarian and human rights law which binds all parties.”

Reportedly, the city of Aleppo has had intermittent access to water from the beginning of May 2014, with a total cut in supply on 10 May resulting in many, perhaps a million people left without access to safe water and sanitation. This affected homes, hospitals and medical centres. The cuts appeared to come about as a result of deliberate interference with the water supply, with conflicting allegations suggesting that some armed opposition groups and the Government of Syria have both been responsible at different times and to differing degrees.

“All parties to the conflict must take immediate steps to ensure that the water supply in Aleppo is permanently restored, and prevent any further interference with access to potable water, and other vital supplies. Relevant UN bodies and concerned States with influence over those parties must make that clear to them,” the experts said.

“Blatant disregard for human rights and humanitarian law cannot be justified by conflict,” they stressed.

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