Drought conditions in the following countries except ________ are tile worst in decades, slowing agricultural output.

Among the challenges facing the Middle East is declining access to water. Experts at a conference organized by the Middle East Institute in Washington believe the growing need for water in the region is also a potential source of co- operation. Experts say 45 million people in the Middle East lack access to drinking water. The problem is particularly acute today, because drought conditions in countries including Syria, Jordan and Israel are the worst in decades, slowing agricultural output. The matter is longstanding and multi -faceted. It includes the lack of international agree-meats over water resources. As an example, conflict between Turkey, Syria and Iraq about the flows of the shared Tigris and Euphrates rivers has intensified in recent years. There are also imbalances in water access between neigh-boring populations. Palestinians use a quarter of the water consumed by their Israeli neighbors. The result is a potentially explosive situation. Some experts say water problems contributed to war in 1967, when Israel and Syria fought over the Golan Heights and access to the freshwater Sea of Galilee.