04:15More than a million residents in al-Hasakah and its outstrikes continue struggling from water shortage as the city has been cut from the Alouk water station, the most significant pumping station in northeastern Syria, for over 5 months.
Footage filmed on Sunday shows residents trying to fill their water containers and jerry cans from the tankers deployed on streets after the water flow has been cut off.
"We are approaching the summer season, and a greater suffering is waiting for us at the time. The wells had dried up. We drilled wells with 65 metres deep, but their underwater dried up. If summer comes, and the water insecurity has not been resolved, we will leave the place. This is a possibility," local Hasan al-Zaher said.
State officials in al-Hasakah have been working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the International Red Cross, and Action Against Hunger to deploy tankers with a capacity of 25 barrels, which are filled daily and distributed across the city's neighbourhoods. Additionally, wells are being drilled in various districts of the city, and desalination plants are being installed to provide residents with potable water.
Previously, al-Hasakah used to receive approximately 70,000 cubic metres of potable water daily to the city, its countryside, and the town of Tel Tamar, to serve more than one and a half million citizens.
Problems with the water supply began in 2019 when Turkey and affiliated Syrian National Army factions took control of Serekaniye/Ras al-Ain, where the water plant is located.
The Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES) had a Russian-brokered deal with Turkish-backed forces.
According to the deal, AANES will supply Syrian opposition areas with electricity, in exchange for water from Alouk, however, the deal was violated several times by both sides.
The Syrian government alleges that Turkey has intentionally cut off water to the over one million, primarily ethnically Kurdish, inhabitants of al-Hasakah and the surrounding area, while Ankara has previously denied these accusations arguing that the Alouk station has been left unable to function due to not receiving the needed electricity from a dam controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and due to maintenance issues.
Turkey has reiterated its denial of deliberately cutting off water supplies for the city, blaming the Kurds.
In its report in 2022, Human Rights Watch accused the Turkish authorities of failing to provide adequate water flow into the Syrian-held portion of the Euphrates River, and exacerbating the 'acute water crisis which is believed to trigger the outbreak of deadly cholera epidemic across Syria and neighbouring countries.'
'A greater suffering's waiting for us' - Disruption of main water station deepens al-Hasakah locals' struggle ahead of scorching summer
More than a million residents in al-Hasakah and its outstrikes continue struggling from water shortage as the city has been cut from the Alouk water station, the most significant pumping station in northeastern Syria, for over 5 months.
Footage filmed on Sunday shows residents trying to fill their water containers and jerry cans from the tankers deployed on streets after the water flow has been cut off.
"We are approaching the summer season, and a greater suffering is waiting for us at the time. The wells had dried up. We drilled wells with 65 metres deep, but their underwater dried up. If summer comes, and the water insecurity has not been resolved, we will leave the place. This is a possibility," local Hasan al-Zaher said.
State officials in al-Hasakah have been working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the International Red Cross, and Action Against Hunger to deploy tankers with a capacity of 25 barrels, which are filled daily and distributed across the city's neighbourhoods. Additionally, wells are being drilled in various districts of the city, and desalination plants are being installed to provide residents with potable water.
Previously, al-Hasakah used to receive approximately 70,000 cubic metres of potable water daily to the city, its countryside, and the town of Tel Tamar, to serve more than one and a half million citizens.
Problems with the water supply began in 2019 when Turkey and affiliated Syrian National Army factions took control of Serekaniye/Ras al-Ain, where the water plant is located.
The Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES) had a Russian-brokered deal with Turkish-backed forces.
According to the deal, AANES will supply Syrian opposition areas with electricity, in exchange for water from Alouk, however, the deal was violated several times by both sides.
The Syrian government alleges that Turkey has intentionally cut off water to the over one million, primarily ethnically Kurdish, inhabitants of al-Hasakah and the surrounding area, while Ankara has previously denied these accusations arguing that the Alouk station has been left unable to function due to not receiving the needed electricity from a dam controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and due to maintenance issues.
Turkey has reiterated its denial of deliberately cutting off water supplies for the city, blaming the Kurds.
In its report in 2022, Human Rights Watch accused the Turkish authorities of failing to provide adequate water flow into the Syrian-held portion of the Euphrates River, and exacerbating the 'acute water crisis which is believed to trigger the outbreak of deadly cholera epidemic across Syria and neighbouring countries.'
More than a million residents in al-Hasakah and its outstrikes continue struggling from water shortage as the city has been cut from the Alouk water station, the most significant pumping station in northeastern Syria, for over 5 months.
Footage filmed on Sunday shows residents trying to fill their water containers and jerry cans from the tankers deployed on streets after the water flow has been cut off.
"We are approaching the summer season, and a greater suffering is waiting for us at the time. The wells had dried up. We drilled wells with 65 metres deep, but their underwater dried up. If summer comes, and the water insecurity has not been resolved, we will leave the place. This is a possibility," local Hasan al-Zaher said.
State officials in al-Hasakah have been working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the International Red Cross, and Action Against Hunger to deploy tankers with a capacity of 25 barrels, which are filled daily and distributed across the city's neighbourhoods. Additionally, wells are being drilled in various districts of the city, and desalination plants are being installed to provide residents with potable water.
Previously, al-Hasakah used to receive approximately 70,000 cubic metres of potable water daily to the city, its countryside, and the town of Tel Tamar, to serve more than one and a half million citizens.
Problems with the water supply began in 2019 when Turkey and affiliated Syrian National Army factions took control of Serekaniye/Ras al-Ain, where the water plant is located.
The Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES) had a Russian-brokered deal with Turkish-backed forces.
According to the deal, AANES will supply Syrian opposition areas with electricity, in exchange for water from Alouk, however, the deal was violated several times by both sides.
The Syrian government alleges that Turkey has intentionally cut off water to the over one million, primarily ethnically Kurdish, inhabitants of al-Hasakah and the surrounding area, while Ankara has previously denied these accusations arguing that the Alouk station has been left unable to function due to not receiving the needed electricity from a dam controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and due to maintenance issues.
Turkey has reiterated its denial of deliberately cutting off water supplies for the city, blaming the Kurds.
In its report in 2022, Human Rights Watch accused the Turkish authorities of failing to provide adequate water flow into the Syrian-held portion of the Euphrates River, and exacerbating the 'acute water crisis which is believed to trigger the outbreak of deadly cholera epidemic across Syria and neighbouring countries.'