Elizabeth II: South Asia's difficult relationship with British monarchy

In spite of their difficult colonial past, India and Pakistan had a cordial relationship with Queen Elizabeth II. She is seen as a monarch who pursued the policy of "noninterference" during her 70-year-reign as queen.

The queen 'represents the end of the British Empire and the transition of

 former colonies into independent states'

Elizabeth II was crowned queen of the United Kingdom in 1952, just five years after India and Pakistan gained independence from British colonial rule. The memories of British rule, which was marked by the subjugation of the people of then-undivided India, were fresh in public memory at the time.

Just 25 years old when she became queen, Elizabeth, however, is largely admired and respected by people in the former British colonies.

People in India and Pakistan — as well in other South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan — received the news of the queen's death with a great deal of sadness. Thousands of South Asians posted condolences on social media.

"The role of Queen Elizabeth II between 1952 and 1956 was passive and uneventful. She deliberately kept herself away from interfering in Pakistan's internal matters," Mazhar Abbas, a historian at Government College University Faisalabad, told DW.

"She engaged with India and Pakistan through the Commonwealth platform," he added.

Elizabeth also remained neutral in conflicts between India and Pakistan.

"In fact, Indian politicians appreciated her stabilizing role in British politics" after she took over as head of state of the United Kingdom, according to Indian historian Rakesh Batabyal.

Respect for Elizabeth II

"While history has documented the servitude during the colonial era, our relationship with the British monarchy has remained cordial after gaining independence. The queen visited Pakistan many times and maintained good relations with our leaders," Shazia Marri, Pakistan's poverty alleviation minister, told DW.

Asif Nazrul, a professor at Dhaka University in Bangladesh, expressed similar sentiments. "ln spite of the colonial legacy, many people in Bangladesh are sad. We can't live in the past forever. Queen Elizabeth's calm, soothing and accommodating image eventually prevailed in the last few decades," he said, adding that the world has lost an "icon of history."

Subhash Talekar, president of the Mumbai Dabbawala Association, a food delivery service, said he was saddened by the queen's death.

"We have a great association with the British royal family. Ever since Price Charles [now King Charles III] visited Mumbai in 2004, the connection has grown," Talekar told DW. "The royal family invited two of our colleagues to the wedding ceremony of Charles and Camilla Parker in 2005. The invitation from the queen had a personal touch, which reflected her human side," Talekar said.

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Elizabeth II met with former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1997

A difficult relationship nonetheless

But not everyone is ready to gloss over Britain's colonial rule. Some have even criticized Elizabeth's "noninterference" approach, for instance, during the first four years of Elizabeth's rule when she was also the "Queen of Pakistan." The monarchy was abolished on March 23, 1956, when Pakistan became a republic within the Commonwealth with a president as its own head of state.

"She never used the Commonwealth platform to resolve the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan," said Abbas, the Pakistani historian.

"She could have played a role in strengthening parliamentary democracy in Pakistan. For instance, she could have interfered in 1953, when Ghulam Muhammad, the then governor-general of Pakistan, dismissed the then prime minister, Khawaja Nazimuddin. The deposed PM made a futile attempt to request the queen to reverse Muhammad's decision," he added.

But Nonica Datta, a historian at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, told DW that Elizabeth had inherited "an enduring and complex legacy of the British empire."

"She represents the end of the British Empire and the transition of former colonies into independent states. Rarely do we find such a historical figure who embodied the spirit of colonial and imperial past laced with the post-World War II democratic values of the new world order," Datta said.

Elizabeth met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2018 

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Vijayasai Reddy, an Indian lawmaker, tweeted that Queen Elizabeth II "may not have apologized for India's brutal colonization... but her leadership qualities and morality impacted UK politics."

Anti-colonial sentiment

Shahidul K K Shuvra, a Bangladeshi journalist, told DW he was befuddled as to why people on the Indian subcontinent are so anguished by Elizabeth's demise.

"South Asians are always more interested in the queen and the royal family rather than how Britain exploited them for 200 years," he said. "The precious Koh-i-Noor [one of the largest cut diamonds in the world] on her crown was taken away from India," he added.

Saimum Parvez, a political analyst in Dhaka, also played down the significance of the queen's death for the people in South Asia.

"The death of the queen does not have any impact on our lives, neither socially nor politically. The Bangladesh government has announced a three-day national mourning, which was expected, but is totally unnecessary," he said.

"Yes, we don't want to live in the colonial past," he added, "but we should not also completely forget what we went through under this monarchy."

Indian writer Rana Safvi, however, said condoling the death of Queen Elizabeth II was not synonymous with condoning or forgetting colonialism. "We, in India, are still suffering because of the colonial policies," Safvi said. "We don't have to endorse the monarchy."

Additional reporting by Murali Krishnan (New Delhi), Haroon Janjua (Islamabad) and Arafatul Islam (Bonn).

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

UK's King Charles in Belfast as free speech concerns mount

King Charles III has been visiting Northern Ireland on the latest leg of his tour after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. 

Meanwhile, police are facing criticism over their treatment of anti-monarchy protesters.

King Charles and his Queen Consort Camilla met members of the public outside Hillsborough Castle

The new British monarch on Tuesday promised that he would follow in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and strive for peace in Northern Ireland.

King Charles III was visiting the province as part of his tour taking in the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom.

What did King Charles do in Northern Ireland?

While in Northern Ireland, the king met the country's political leaders, including those from nationalist parties who want Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join the Republic of Ireland.

King Charles told politicians he would draw on his mother's "shining example" when it came to promoting the welfare of all of Northern Ireland's residents.

"My mother felt deeply, I know, the significance of the role she herself played in bringing together those whom history had separated, and in extending a hand to make possible the healing of long-held hurts," the king said.

Hundreds of people gathered along the roadside leading to Hillsborough Castle near Belfast, the official residence of the royal family in Northern Ireland. Floral tributes carpeted the area in front of the gates to the castle.

While crowds of well-wishers gathered to greet the new king, Northern Ireland is deeply divided over the British monarchy. The institution draws mixed emotions in the province, where there are two main communities: largely Protestant unionists who view themselves as British and mainly Roman Catholic nationalists who consider themselves to be Irish.

While he was heir to the throne, Charles visited Northern Ireland 39 times. His 40th visit comes as unionists feel their place in the wider UK is under greater threat than ever before, with nationalists set to lead the province's devolved government for the first time.

After returning to Scotland from England on Monday, Charles's trip to Northern Ireland comes ahead of his visit on Friday to Wales.

Charles and his siblings, Anne, Andrew, and Edward, on Monday night stood vigil around their mother's flag-draped coffin in Edinburgh's St. Giles' Cathedral. Members of the public filed past the casket, which was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and topped with the ancient crown of Scotland.

Queen Elizabeth died on Thursday in her holiday home at Balmoral in the Scottish Highlands. Her coffin was flown to London on Tuesday and arrived at Buckingham Palace ahead of a state funeral next Monday.

Concerns over policing and free speech

The queen's death and the ascent of King Charles to the throne have raised questions about the public space for dissent.

British police faced criticism from civil liberties groups on Tuesday over their treatment of anti-monarchy protesters and the right to exercise free speech.

A female protester holding a protest placard reading "Not My King" was confronted by at least four officers outside the UK parliament in London, with footage going viral on social media on Monday. The woman was escorted away and reportedly made to stand at another location, but police did not arrest her.

Meanwhile, lawyer and climate activist Paul Powlesland tweeted that a police officer had warned him that he risked arrest by holding up a blank piece of paper opposite parliament.

"He confirmed that if I wrote, 'Not My King' on it, he would arrest me under the Public Order Act because someone might be offended," Powlesland wrote.

However, in some cases people did actually face prosecution. Police charged a woman in Edinburgh with a breach of the peace after holding aloft a sign reading "F*** imperialism, abolish the monarchy."

A man who heckled Prince Andrew as the former monarch's hearse passed through Edinburgh on Monday faced the same charge.

rc/wd (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)

 HUMAN RIGHTS VS RELIGIOUS RITES

Hungary enshrines 'fetal heartbeat' abortion law

Rights advocates have warned that the new statute will make it more difficult for women to access safe abortions. Far-right lawmakers hailed it as a "chance for life."

Anti-abortion rhetoric and advertisements have been on the rise in Hungary in recent years

Rights advocates in Hungary were dismayed on Tuesday at the news that soon, women seeking abortions will be forced to listen to the fetal "heartbeat" before doctors can go ahead with the procedure.

"It is definitely a worrying step back, a bad sign," said Aron Demeter, spokesman for Amnesty International Hungary, told French news agency AFP. "This amendment achieves nothing, but will further traumatize women, put additional pressure on women who are already in a difficult place."

The amendment, which was published late on Monday, will go into effect on Thursday. 

Women in Hungary are allowed to access an abortion up until 12 weeks of pregnancy, sometimes later if there are severe health complications at play. They are also required to complete a counseling session first.

Under the new law, doctors must also issue a report that records that the pregnant woman was presented "with the factor indicating the functioning of fetal vital functions in a clearly identifiable manner."

Doctors and reproductive rights researchers have pointed out, in response to similar laws in other countries, that a "fetal heartbeat" is something of a misnomer, as the heart is not yet fully formed and the fluttering sound where a heart might develop comes long before limbs grow and brain activity begins.

Moreover, studies have shown that putting up such hurdles to terminating pregnancy makes it harder to access legal and safe abortions. 

Ruling party rolls back reproductive rights

The new amendment to Hungary's reproductive rights statute was pushed largely by the far-right Mi Hazank (Our Homeland) party, with lawmaker Dora Duro calling it a "chance for life" on her Facebook page.

While other EU countries have been expanding reproductive rights, the administration of arch-conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his ruling Fidesz party has also supported rolling back laws amidst a drive to protect what it sees as traditional values and gender roles. This has included increasing benefits for mothers who stay at home and have more children and introducing anti-LGBT+ legislation.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), the London-based think tank that monitors extremism, found in a 2021 report that Fidesz was working with "an international network of ultra-conservative organizations working to undermine and restrict sexual and reproductive health rights for women," with now-President Katalin Novak leading the charge in her previous role as family affairs minister.

Abortion was legalized in Hungary in 1953, and enshrined again, though with slightly more restrictive language, in 1992 following the demise of the Soviet Union and its influence in Budapest.

In 2012, Hungary adopted a new constitution that said "the life of the fetus is protected from conception," though it stopped short of outlawing the procedure.

es/wd (AFP, dpa)

'Boycott Bollywood': Hindi film industry struggles in the face of mass campaigns

Almost all new Bollywood releases are facing relentless social media campaigns calling for their boycott. But it's not the only problem confronting the Hindi film industry.

Bollywood has not been successful in attracting the avid filmgoer back to the 

large screen since the COVID-19 pandemic

The Hindi film industry, based out of India's financial capital Mumbai and more popularly known as Bollywood, has been attempting to make a strong comeback after nearly two years of coronavirus-induced cinema closures.   

But as multimillion-dollar projects make their way to the big screen once again, online campaigns calling for a "boycott" of Bollywood are dampening the comeback.

New hashtags, like #boycottbollywood, #boycottbollywoodforever, or ones targeting particular films, like the recently released mythological fantasy drama "Brahmastra," trend on Twitter every day.

Some in the film industry call these campaigns part of a larger tool to subvert freedom of expression in the arts.

"It's a decoy to paint Bombay films in a certain light to leverage the medium for their own agenda. I think the industry is one of the last bastions of democracy. It has a pre-partition legacy and isn't necessarily a caste or class-based occupation," Suhasini Krishnan, a 28-year-old New Delhi-based media professional, told DW.

"It's also one of the most potent popular culture interests in South Asia, so naturally it's a desirable platform to use for propaganda. For a while now, there has been a concerted effort to break this system down by evoking middle class discourses like nepotism and nationalism," she noted.

Are boycotts the real reason?

The most recent victim of the so-called troll brigades was actor Aamir Khan's long-awaited adaptation of the 1994 US film "Forrest Gump" — "Laal Singh Chaddha."

The film took over a decade to produce — from purchasing the official rights for the movie to adapting the screenplay for an Indian audience — but went on to tank at the box office.

It has only made around 560 million rupees (€7 million, $7 million) in ticket sales — about a quarter of its budget — despite being released on August 11, on the eve of a festive long weekend.

'Laal Singh Chaddha' — an adaptation of the 1994 US film 'Forrest Gump' — 

has failed miserably at the Indian box office

Right-wing critics of Khan had called for a boycott of the film because of comments made by the actor in 2015 that they deemed to be unpatriotic.

While Khan and some other actors and film producers blame the boycott calls for the failure of their films, not everyone agrees.

"I don't think hashtags and social media campaigns are the primary reason some films are not doing well. The truth is the content just didn't work," said Sanaya Irani Zohrabi, a creative producer at RSVP Films, an Indian film production company.

"In our industry, all publicity is good publicity for films, at least to some extent," she told DW, explaining that good content would be able to pull viewers to the cinema, even if it is by word of mouth.

Data shows that most Bollywood films released this year have so far failed and ticket sales have fallen every month since March.

Of the 26 releases this year, 20 — or 77% — have been flops, defined as losing half or more of their investment, according to the Koimoi website, which tracks industry data.

That's about double the failure rate of 39% in 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rise of streaming services and high cost of watching films

Even as theaters reopen, the film industry has not been successful in attracting filmgoers back to the cinema for a number of reasons.

Over the past couple of years, the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and local variants like SonyLIV and Zee5, has meant that people have unlimited content at their disposal.

A quarter of India's 1.4 billion people now use such services, up from about 12% in 2019, according to market data firm Statista.

"It's just the more comfortable experience for the viewer," Zohrabi said, referring to the rise of the streaming services.

They're also relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to the high cost of going to the cinema, particularly in big cities, where a movie outing for a family of four now costs as much as 3,000 to 5,000 rupees.

That's in a country where the average annual income is about 160,000 rupees.

The monthly subscription fee for streaming services like Netflix, on the other hand, starts at about 150 rupees, and the platforms make a wide variety of content available to cater to all kinds of users.

After prolonged closures over the pandemic and the rise of streaming services, film industry experts say the decision to step out of homes is guided by the film that is currently running.

Audiences are not starved of good entertainment, so if the film does not warrant the movie theater experience, they are less willing to show up for a theatrical release.

BOLLYWOOD REMAKES OF HOLLYWOOD HITS
'Forrest Gump'
It is common practice: Major film markets remake material that has been successful elsewhere for their regional audiences. Germany remakes stories from France, the USA from all over the world. In return, the studios buy the rights. Many Bollywood directors, however, tend to plagiarize. In the Indian remake of the Oscar-winning drama "Forrest Gump" with Tom Hanks (image), everything is above board.
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How to bring the audience back to theaters?

Some argue that Bollywood is making films that increasingly don't appeal to the country's masses. They point out that recent blockbusters in the country have not come from the Hindi-language film industry but from other Indian languages, such as Telugu-language action flicks "Pushpa" and "RRR" and the Kannada film "KGF: Chapter 2."

"Over the pandemic, we have seen exponential change in content consumption, and I don't think the industry has kept up with the new space it has entered," Zohrabi said, adding that the cushy south Mumbai homes of Bollywood's elite were not relatable to the audience.

"There's still a checklist for a theatrical release to be commercially successful, whereas digital platforms give filmmakers a lot more flexibility to disrupt, experiment and explore more avenues," she added.

At a time when big Bollywood stars are no longer enough to ensure a film's success, streaming platforms are allowing filmmakers to use smaller budget, lesser-known actors, shorter timelines and progressive themes to draw audience and create impact.

Against this backdrop, Zohrabi said that filmmakers need to urgently recalibrate their strategies and make determined efforts to attract viewers to the movie theaters. 

"The industry needs to go all out — big stars, fantastic story, high action, great VFX [visual effects], and a quintessential cinematic experience."

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru

Namibia genocide: Opposition demands new deal with Germany

The Namibian opposition is demanding the renegotiation of a controversial genocide deal with Germany. But Berlin's reticence has led to even more resentment in Namibia.

Descendants of the victims of Germany's genocide of the Herero and Nama 

peoples want recognition and compensation

"For a long time, we thought the Greens were our friends," said Nandiuasora Mazeingo, chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation (OGF), shrugging his shoulders at news from Germany that the Berlin government sees no need to renegotiate the Joint Declaration with Namibia.

The deal was thought to have brought an end to years of negotiations to recognize the genocide of Herero and Nama people during the German colonial period in what is now Namibia.

However, the agreement led to heated debates in the Namibian parliament in September 2021.

"It seems like this issue in Germany is only about gaining political power," Mazeingo said in an interview with DW. "But we will outlast these governments because we are on the right side of history!" 

Still, the leader of the official opposition in Namibia, McHenry Venaani, has hope in the environmentalist Green Party, part of the Germany's governing coalition with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) .

The president of the country's largest opposition party, Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), has written an open letter to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, a member of the Greens, which DW has obtained. In it, he called for the agreement to be "renegotiated" and "restructured."

"Frau Baerbock had shown credibility while she was a candidate," Venaani told DW. "Now we have to see if she brings the same understanding as a minister."

Botswana and South Africa should join negotiations

Venaani is particularly concerned about the diaspora communities.

"There are descendants of genocide victims living in Botswana and South Africa — and they are left to fend for themselves," he said.

He wants their representatives to be included in the renegotiation process, but told DW that the German government could perhaps begin talks with the government of Botswana.

McHenry Venaani has called for the agreement to be 'renegotiated' and 'restructured'

Venaani's statements have been met with mixed feelings in Namibia. OGF chairperson Mazeingo rejected the politician's call for more government participation.

While agreeing with the demand to include the Herero and Nama in the diaspora, he criticized a possible participation of more governments as a "perpetuation of the exclusion."

He refered to the fact that the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) and the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) — which see themselves as the official representatives of the diaspora communities — were not part of the negotiations between Germany and Namibia.

However, Ileni Henguva, a traditional councillor for the Ovambanderu, said that the affected communities had actually been considered in the original negotiations with the German government, therefore he sees no need for further talks.

The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not want to comment on the demands when contacted by DW. As a matter of principal, Berlin does not respond to open letters, a spokesperson told DW.

"We respect the difficult decision making process and the discussions within the Namibian society and politics," the spokesperson said.

Demonstrators call attention to the genocide in Windhoek, Namibia in May 2021

'We will shame them'

The ministry also referred to discussions about the implementation of the joint declaration that took place in March 2022 between Namibian and German delegations in Windhoek.

Ultimately, renegotiating how the terms of the deal would be implemented seemed like a possibility, though this might not appease the critics in Namibia, where the OTA is demanding a completely fresh start to talks.

"We are not going to sign a sham agreement that makes Germany look good on the international stage," OTA representative Mazeingo emphasized to DW.

Herero people were driven off their lands by German settlers, and when 

captured were sent to concentration camps

Wording in dispute

He demanded an admission of guilt by the German government. In the eyes of the OTA, the biggest stumbling block lies within the wording of the Joint Declaration, which calls the atrocities committed between 1904-1908 a genocide "from today's perspective."

Opposition leader McHenry Venaani also wants a clear, legal recognition of the genocide. In his open letter to Baerbock, he wrote that the atrocities "cannot only be recognised in a moral and political sense." 

In his interview with DW, he referenced reparations again, describing the aid deal — worth €1.1 billion ($1.34 billion) to be paid out over 30 years under the Joint Declaration — as an insult.

"It's not about extracting the largest possible sum. We are only asking for a package that will sustainably improve the socio-economic conditions of the affected communities," Venaani said.

The PDM party leader argued that even the Namibian government has come to understand that the people of Namibia are not ready to accept this agreement.

This also applies to a possible apology by the German government. A "half-baked apology" would only lead to boos in the Namibian parliament, he said. OGF chairperson Mazeingo shared these sentiments.

"We are going to organize protests. We would make sure that whoever comes here to offer an apology is shamed, shamed to know that it is the biggest mistake that they have done to come to the people whom they have brutalized and to come here and pretend to offer an apology that is not genuine, " he told DW.

MODERN-DAY SLAVERY
Illegal workforce
Despite the fact that slavery is prohibited worldwide, modern forms of the sinister practice persist. More than 40 million people still toil in debt bondage in Asia, forced labor in the Gulf states, or as child workers in agriculture in Africa or Latin America.
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This aritcle was originally published in German.

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Germany rejects new negotiations over Namibia genocide

Berlin insists on implementing a controversial deal that recognizes the colonial-era genocide in Namibia. The plan draws strong criticism from politicians and some descendants of the victims, who demanded fresh talks.  

Ethiopia's Tigray hit by fresh air strike: Rebels, hospital

AFP , Wednesday 14 Sep 2022

Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray was hit by an air strike on Wednesday, local officials said, its second bombing in as many days which came shortly after authorities in the rebel-held region said they were ready for a ceasefire.

A member of the Afar Special Forces holds a gun next to a damaged house in the village of Bisober in Ethiopia s Tigray region. AFP

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The attack struck a residential neighbourhood in the regional capital Mekele, "killing and wounding innocent civilians", tweeted Getachew Reda, spokesman for the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been fighting Ethiopia's government for nearly two years.

He did not provide details of the casualties, but the bombing injured at least two women, said Fasika Amdeslasie, a surgeon at Ayder Referral Hospital, the biggest in Tigray.

"One was inside her compound and the other just at the gate of her compound going out," he said on Twitter.

AFP was not able to independently verify the claims. Access to northern Ethiopia is severely restricted and Tigray has been under a communications blackout for over a year.

The reported attack followed a drone strike on Tuesday on Mekele University, which the TPLF said caused injuries and property damage.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government has not commented on this week's reported bombings.

Tigray has been hit by several air strikes since fighting resumed in late August between government forces and their allies and TPLF rebels in northern Ethiopia.

The return to combat shattered a March truce and dashed hopes of peacefully resolving the war, which has killed untold numbers of civilians and triggered a humanitarian crisis in northern Ethiopia.

Both sides have accused the other of firing first, and fighting has spread from around southern Tigray to other fronts farther north and west, while also drawing in Eritrean troops who backed Ethiopian forces in the early phase of the war.

On Sunday, the TPLF said it was ready for a ceasefire and would accept a peace process led by the African Union, removing an obstacle to negotiations with Abiy's government.

The international community has urged the warring sides to seize the moment for peace.

Addis Ababa is still yet to officially comment on the overture by Tigrayan authorities, which dominated national politics for nearly three decades until Abiy came to power in 2018.

Abiy's government has declared the TPLF a terrorist group, and considers its claim to authority in Tigray illegitimate.

Untold numbers of civilians have been killed since the war erupted in Africa's second most populous country, and grave rights violations by all sides against civilians have been documented.

Abiy, a Nobel Peace laureate, sent troops into Tigray in November 2020 to topple the TPLF in response to what he said were attacks on federal army camps.

Syria reports 7 dead in first major cholera outbreak in years

AFP , Wednesday 14 Sep 2022

Syria's first major cholera outbreak in over a decade has killed seven people and infected more than 50, the health ministry said, amid widespread damage to water treatment infrastructure.

A cholera-infected woman receives treatment at a hospital in Syria s northern city of Aleppo on September 11, 2022. AFP

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In a statement late Tuesday, the ministry confirmed 53 cholera cases spread across five of the country's 14 provinces, with the highest number recorded in the northern province of Aleppo.

It said seven people had died of the illness.

The updated toll comes after the ministry reported two confirmed cholera deaths on Monday.

Cholera is generally contracted from contaminated food or water, and causes diarrhoea and vomiting.

It can spread in residential areas that lack proper sewerage networks or mains drinking water.

The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday of a "very high" risk of cholera spreading throughout Syria.

The WHO said the latest cases were the first reported in the country since 2009, when 342 cases were confirmed in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor and the northern province of Raqa.

More than a decade of civil war since then has damaged two thirds of Syria's water treatment plants, half of its pumping stations and one third of its water towers, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.

Nearly half the population relies on alternative and often unsafe sources of water while at least 70 percent of sewage goes untreated, it added.

An outbreak of cholera hit neighbouring Iraq this summer for the first time since 2015.

Worldwide, the disease affects between 1.3 million and four million people each year, killing between 21,000 and 143,000 people.