UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2018) US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed the urgent need to help the Iraqi city of Basra cope with crippling water shortages, the State Department said on Wednesday in a readout of a meeting between the two diplomats in New York.
"Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Foreign Minister Al Thani agreed on the importance of urgently assisting the thousands of Iraqis affected by the water crisis in Basrah," the readout said.
During their meeting earlier on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the two diplomats also discussed strategies to promote security and peace in the middle East and reaffirmed their countries' partnership in the region, the release added.
Basra has been gripped by mass protests since early September over shortages of drinking water and electricity. Military troops were called in after demonstrations turned violent, leading to multiple deaths and injuries among civilians.
