Middle East: War in the Middle East is Pushing Vital Water Plants 'Close to the Breaking Point'

Mar 25, 2015 | Stephanie Nebehay, Reuters
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Fighters are increasingly targeting water and sanitation facilities across the Middle East, exacerbating severe shortages for agriculture and households, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday.

Consumption of water in the volatile region with rising populations was already at unsustainable levels in many areas hit by record-low rainfall and drought, but wars have pushed systems "close to the breaking point," the aid agency said.

Militants in Syria, Iraq and Gaza have also used access to water and electricity supplies as "tactical weapons or as bargaining chips," the ICRC said in a report.