UN concerns over "Water War" in Iraq

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, expressed his shock at the water being turned into an instrument of terror against the Iraqi people. A statement by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq quoted Mladenov, as saying “The deliberate flooding of the Abu Ghraib area has caused the displacement of over 12,000 families and submerged hundreds of houses, including at least four schools.” “Mladenov also reiterated the UN’s readiness to continue working with the Ministry of Displacement and Migration and the local authorities to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Abu Ghraib, of which access to safe drinking water remains a priority,” the statement added, noting that “He also assured that the UN Humanitarian Agencies will also work with the Government and the local authorities on assessing the damages from the floods and planning for the reconstruction of an area that has some of Iraq’s richest agricultural land.”

“Expressing his concern that the “water war” will have long-term negative humanitarian, health, social and economic consequences for the affected communities, Mr. Mladenov called on the Government, Iraqi Security Forces, local authorities and tribal leaders to work jointly and quickly to restore legitimate control over the flow of the river Euphrates. “Those who are now in control of the barrage in Fallujah should understand the consequences of their actions on the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis,” the statement concluded.