Rights group: Iraq government mismanaging water crisis

A leading rights organization says Iraq’s government is failing to properly address underlying causes for an ongoing water crisis in the country’s south.

A report released on Monday by Human Rights Watch on chronic water shortages and pollution in Iraq’s Basra province says authorities continue to allow activities that pollute the province’s water resources despite the health risks to residents.

The report says promised government projects to improve water quality have failed to materialize due to mismanagement and corruption.

It also warns of outbreaks of water-borne diseases if the problems are left unaddressed.

Thousands of people in the region were hospitalized last year due to stomach ailments and skin rashes blamed on the quality of the water. The crisis also led to violent protests and rioting in Iraq’s oil-exporting capital.