By Samer Yassin
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The burden on Medhat Issa increased after the rise in ampere prices due to the electricity outage in the city of Hasakah, northeastern Syria, in addition to the high cost of buying water following the water cut off from the Alouk station, which was considered the only source of water supply for the city.
On October 4, Turkey shelled several vital sites and facilities in northeast Syria, including the western dam station in the countryside of Hasakah, which led to a power outage in a large part of the city and its surroundings, as well as Amuda power station, which supplies the Derbasiyah conversion station and Alouk water station in the countryside of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), causing the station to go out of service and the complete water cut off in the city of Hasakah and its countryside.
The Alouk water station is the only water resource feeding Hasakah and its countryside, however, the station is controlled by Turkey and Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka Syrian National Army (SNA).
Issa, 70, a visual artist and painter from the city of Hasakah, complains about the new financial burdens added to his daily household expenses, which were a result of the Turkish airstrikes on the region.
“The circumstances have become very difficult, especially after the loss of diesel fuel in the city and its price increase, leading to the rise in ampere prices. Also, with the cut off water from the Alouk station, new burdens have been added to the income expenses, coinciding with the skyrocketing prices of food”, Issa told North Press.
“Turkey’s targeting of infrastructure is the main reason for the new crisis added to the previous ones. The morning and evening ampere prices in the city used to be no more than 15,000 SYP, but now it has reached 55,000 SYP”, Issa added.
Like his neighbors who own businesses in Hasakah’s market, Newroz Amin, who runs a mobile phone sales, purchase, and repair shop, is unable to repair phones due to the power outage.
“The issue is not limited to the power outage, we also suffer from a lack of water, which increases our financial burden”, Amin said.
Amin calculates what he earns from the income of his shop on average daily and compares it to his expenses. “If the daily income from my shop is 50,000 SYP, I will be working from morning till night just to cover the cost of water”, he said.
Sherif al-Issa, 52, a resident of Hasakah, buys water from tankers at a monthly cost of 300,000 SYP, in addition to the ampere prices due to the absence of regular electricity.
“If electricity and water were available as before, there would be significant savings in our monthly expenses. We pay over 800,000 SYP for purchasing electricity and water during this period. Without this expense, we could buy food or other household items with that money”, al-Issa said.