Syrian Parliament calls 57 parties to condemn Turkey’s water cut-offs to Hasakah
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Head of Syrian Parliament Hammoud Sabbagh sent on Thursday 57 letters to international and Arab parties, calling them to condemn Turkey’s ongoing cut-off of drinking water for more than one million people in the city of Hasakah, northeast Syria, and its countryside.
Sabbagh sent 57 letters to the presidents and secretary-generals of the United Nations, the UN Human Rights Office, and Arab and international parliaments, according to SANA, the state-run news agency.
Since October 2019, Turkey and its affiliated armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), have controlled the Alouk water pumping station, following its invasion of Sere kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad in the same month. Since then, Turkey has cut off water to Hasakah for 27 times, according to official statements by officials of the Autonomous Administration of north and East Syria (AANES).
Sabbagh said that cutting off drinking water to the residents of Hasakah is a “despicable” crime, and a violation of all ethical, social, cultural and demographic standards.
He also described the frequent water cut-off as a violation of all norms, rules and standards of international law, and an outright breach of the most basic rules of human rights law and international humanitarian law.
The head of the parliament called on all the parties he had texted to pressure Turkey to stop this crime.
He said that weaponizing water against civilians amounts to a “war crime and a crime against humanity.”
He called for a fundamental and permanent solution to the water problem at Alouk station, which is the main source of drinking water for all the people living in Hasakah. He also called all the 57 organizations and parliaments to not let any party exploit its control of the station.
He stressed the need to put an end to Turkey’s “violations” and obligate it to respect the international law.
About a month ago, Turkey cut off drinking water to Hasakah, depriving all the city’s residents of water ever since.
According to the 1987 agreement signed between Damascus and Ankara regarding the Euphrates River, Syria’s share of water coming from Turkey is no less than 500 cubic meters per second on average, equivalent to 2,500 barrels. However, that share has fallen below 200 cubic meters per second.