By Samer Yassin
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Officials warn that the Tishrin Dam in northern Syria is on the verge of collapse as rising water levels and military attacks threaten catastrophic flooding in both Syria and Iraq and cut off vital water and power supplies for hundreds of thousands.
In parallel with the “Deterrence of Aggression” operation on Nov. 27, 2024, which culminated in the fall of the al-Assad regime on Dec. 8, Turkish-backed armed factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), began attacking areas previously controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northern countryside of Aleppo, northwestern Syria.
The operation started in villages and towns in northern Aleppo and extended to the city of Manbij in eastern Aleppo. The fighting eventually reached the Tishrin Dam on the Euphrates River in mid-December 2024, amid repeated attempts by Turkish-backed SNA factions to seize control of the dam and cross to the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
Since then, and up to the time of this report, attacks on the dam have been occurring almost daily, accompanied by intense and violent bombardments of both the dam’s structure and its surroundings by Turkish fighter jets, drones, heavy artillery, and rockets.
Out of Service
Imad Ubaid, the Management of Dams of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), tells North Press that “the military operations around the dam have caused damage to the dam’s structure, the power generation station, and the adjoining transformation and distribution halls, rendering them completely out of service at present—along with the dam itself.”
This situation threatens the lives of around one million people due to the resulting interruption in drinking water and electricity supplies.
The Tishrin Dam is considered one of Syria’s most important dams on the Euphrates—not only for its strategic location but also for its role in power generation, drinking water provision, and irrigation for the surrounding areas.
Located approximately 125 kilometers from the city of Aleppo, the dam supplies electricity and water to Manbij, Sirrin, Kobani, al-Jarniyah, and neighboring villages, whose total population is estimated at about one million, according to Ubaid.
The AANES official adds that “the dam is not generating any electricity for these areas, further depriving them of drinking water and irrigation water for farmers.”
He notes that they are currently operating only with an emergency crew “to prevent the dam from being flooded and to ensure the continued flow of water.” He highlights that earlier flooding affected the generation units and dewatering pumps, which are now completely out of service, and additional damage has occurred to the transformation and distribution halls.
The official warns that the repeated targeting poses significant risks to the dam’s structure, the hydroelectric power station, and its equipment. The loss of local supply to the dam, combined with the continuous inflow of water into its reservoir, will eventually lead to the flooding of critical equipment—such as pumps, control panels, and turbines—rendering them inoperative and ultimately causing the dam to be permanently out of service.
He also confirms that, due to ongoing warfare and the continuous attacks around the dam, they are currently unable to dispatch maintenance teams to assess the extent of the damage and undertake repairs.
According to the official, the Tishrin Dam generates approximately 1.6 kilowatt-hours per year and is equipped with six generation units, each with a capacity of 105 megawatts. The dam is about 1,500 meters long, with a reservoir holding 1.9 billion cubic meters of water and covering an area of 164 square kilometers.
Warning of collapse
Ubaid warns that “If we are unable to access the dam, operate its equipment, and control the water, the water level will continue to exceed the permissible storage limits.”
This situation could lead to water flowing over the earthen dam, causing its collapse. Consequently, the approximately 1.9 billion cubic meters of water stored in the reservoir would rush toward the Euphrates Dam’s reservoir, triggering catastrophic disasters in the surrounding areas, according to the official.
Ubaid stresses that if the water cannot be contained for any reason, the resulting damage extending into Iraqi territory.
He notes, “The water surge could reach more than 7,000 cubic meters per second, which would devastate cities along the riverbed, and cause extensive environmental and economic disasters over areas covering roughly one-third of Syrian territory, as well as Iraq.”
The AANES has warned in previous statements and appeals of the collapse of the Tishrin Dam wall due to Turkish bombing.
War crimes
The dam has been out of service since Dec. 10, 2024, due to damage sustained during clashes, depriving nearly 413,000 people in the Manbij and Kobani regions of water and electricity, according to a report by Human Rights Watch issued in late January.
The HRW accused Turkey and its affiliated SNA factions of committing war crimes in the vicinity of the Tishrin Dam. It condemned a drone strike on Jan. 18 in northern Syria, which struck an ambulance belonging to the Kurdish Red Crescent, calling it an “apparent war crime.”
Hiba Zayadin, senior Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, said, “The SNA and Turkish forces have demonstrated a clear and troubling pattern of unlawful attacks against civilians and civilian objects and even appear to be celebrating them.”
She further stressed that “Türkiye, as the SNA’s main backer, has an obligation to rein in the SNA’s abusive behavior or risk complicity in their crimes.”
The organization highlighted that the Tishrin Dam has become a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict between the “Türkiye-SNA coalition” and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since December.
HRW emphasized that under international humanitarian law (IHL), warring parties are obligated to protect the wounded and ensure their access to medical care.
It reiterated that ambulances and medical facilities are strictly protected under the laws of war and must never be targeted, regardless of whether they provide care to enemy combatants. Likewise, dams and critical infrastructure are afforded special protections due to the potential for catastrophic civilian harm.