国际英语资讯:Water crisis close to end in Damascus with hopes pinned on upcoming negotiations_时事

国际英语资讯:Water crisis close to end in Damascus with hopes pinned on upcoming negotiations

DAMASCUS, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The water crisis in the capital Damascus is drawing to an end, as negotiations between rebels, government succeeded to allow government to re-run main water spring feeding the capital on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, maintenance workers reached the Ain Fijeh spring in the Barada Valley area northwest of Damascus, ending weeks of relentless battles in that region, which intensified since the water pumping into the capital was severed on Dec. 22.

Ain Fijeh is the main water source feeding Damascus with water, and since the water production was shut off, over five million inhabitants in Damascus have struggled to secure their needs of drinking water.

Last week, the UN has warned that the water crisis afflicting the Syrian capital may constitute a war crime.

"In Damascus itself, 5.5 million people have had their water supplies cut or minimized," the UN's humanitarian adviser to Syria, Jan Egeland, said.

Restoring water to Damascus has been the government priority ever since.

The government accused the rebels of severing the water pumping to the capital, while the latter said it's the government forces' shelling that renders the spring out of service.

Several agreements to reach a truce in that area were met with a dead end, which caused more military operations.

But under the new agreement, the government workers will fix the spring equipment amid pledges by the water authorities in Syria to deliver the water to the capital as soon as possible.