Yesterday, Tuesday, September 28, the former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, accompanied by Mr. Gerald Chalian, a philosopher and specialist in Kurdish affairs, and Mr. Alain Bouane from the French Water Partnership Foundation were received in the Department of Foreign Relations.
They were received by the co-chair of the Department of Foreign Relations, Abdul Karim Omar, and a member of the administrative body in the department, Sana Daham.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed important topics, most notably Turkey’s cutting off water from the region, the political process, peace talks, and the intra Kurdish- dialogue.
Dr. Abdul-Karim Omar briefed the guest delegation on the latest developments on the scene, explaining that Turkish threats and attacks continue on several areas in north and east Syria and that violations occur daily by Turkey and its affiliated factions in the occupied areas, including killing, torture, kidnapping, rape, appropriation of civilian property and demographic engineering.
Omar said, “We renew the need to reconsider the decision to close the Tel Kojer border crossing(alyarubia), which prevents humanitarian aid from reaching five million people living in the region, and the Corona pandemic continues to spread widely in the region and there is an urgent need to deliver vaccines and medical supplies to the residents of the region.”
Regarding the International Water Forum, Kushner stressed, “The importance of their participation in this forum, but it was a shock to him the lack of water here, as this shortage will affect the people who will not get enough food and will not get enough water to drink and there will not be enough water, not enough water is for agriculture, so comes from here and from this conference a real alert and a real warning in telling everyone that it is an international problem and this will have an impact on both Syria and Iraq as well, and here we see the great and urgent danger.”
In turn, Alan Bwanie stressed the importance of defending the right of civilians to water, as no one knows what is happening in the area, and expressed his happiness for his participation in the International Water Forum in North and East Syria.
It is absolutely not acceptable to everyone in the world and this issue must be defended for the sake of civilians. He added that the Autonomous Administration has the opportunity to participate in the upcoming International Water Forum in Dakar in March 2022 and it can explain what the situation is here. I think that public opinion will be with the Autonomous Administration as it is the duty of the institutions The United Nations is here to help in such cases, and we reiterate that it is absolutely unacceptable to cut off water to people here and everywhere.
