Turkey again cuts water to northeast Syria amid rise in COVID-19 cases
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkey and Turkish-backed groups have yet again cut off drinking water to the northern Syrian city of Hasakah, reported the pro-Syrian government news agency SANA on Thursday.
In a statement to SANA, the General Director of Hasakah Water Establishment Mahmoud Ukla “said that the Turkish occupation forces and their mercenaries stopped pumping drinking water in Aloukk station, which threatens the lives of about one million people.”
The water station is near the border town of Ras al-Ain (Serekaniye), which Turkey and its militant proxies took over in October during Turkey’s so-called Peace Spring Operation.
Under Russian mediation, though, Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria have been providing electricity to the Turkish-occupied areas in exchange for water flow, but Turkish-backed groups have continued to repeatedly cut off water, demanding higher levels of power.
A report from USAID published on Wednesday citing UN reports stated that the Alouk water station “supports an estimated 470,000 people in the governorate’s Al Hasakah and Tell Tamer cities and surrounding areas, including Al Hol camp.”
According to UN data from February to July, the water supply from Alouk was interrupted at least 12 times, due to interference “from parties controlling the station.”
Moreover, Turkey has also reduced the flow of water from the Euphrates River.
Read more: Turkey using water as weapon against administration in northeast Syria
“In late July, a 65 percent reduction in the rate of water flowing from the Euphrates River also negatively affected the electrical and water supply across Al Hasakah, where power outages now occur for up to 12 hours per day, the UN reports,” the USAID publication continued.
It further warned that the unreliable water supply in northeast Syria increases the risk of coronavirus transmission, “as additional water is needed for COVID19 mitigation measures such as more frequent cleaning and handwashing.”
Northeast Syria has until last month been mostly free of known infections, but there has been a steady rise of in confirmed cases over the past few weeks.
The local Autonomous Administration of North and East of Syria (AANES) on Thursday reported 27 new coronavirus cases, including one death. This brings the total number of known figures in the area to 171 cases and eight fatalities.
According to USAID al-Hol Camp is particularly susceptible to water supply disruptions, as Alouk station provides approximately 50 percent of the camp’s water. As a result, the UN says that reduced water flow there “has led to severe water shortages and resultant protests in Al Hol in recent weeks.”
On Monday, Save the Children said in a press release that the first reported coronavirus case among residents at al-Hol was confirmed after earlier cases were detected among health workers there. The local Kurdish-led administration, however, has not confirmed the infections.
Al-Hol Camp was built to house 40,000 individuals but currently holds around 65,000, mostly women and children. This includes nearly 11,000 foreign females with alleged ties to the so-called Islamic State.
“One of our worst fears has come to pass,” said Sonia Khush, Syria Response Director for Save the Children. “An outbreak of COVID-19 in Al Hol camp is going to be challenging to control considering how overcrowded the camp is and how little access families have to water, personal hygiene items, tests, and protective equipment, with more than 65,000 people living in the camp at the moment.”
Editing by John J. Catherine