Fuel crisis in Aleppo increases due to government-imposed siege
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Fuel crisis in the northern countryside of Aleppo Governorate is increasing with the approach of winter and the continuation of a siege imposed by Fourth Armored Division of Syrian government forces on the area.
Muhammad Hannan, an official in the town council of Tel Rifaat, in the northern countryside of Aleppo, told North Press on Tuesday that the siege is imposed on foodstuff, medicine and fuel, in addition to imposing taxes on transport cars, as well as seizing cars and often preventing residents from crossing.
The northern countryside of Aleppo governorate, also known as Shahba region, houses IDPs of the Kurdish city of Afrin which was occupied in 2018 by Turkey following a military operation called “Olive Branch” to push away the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) under the pretext of protecting Turkey’s “national security”.
The operation caused the displacement of about 300.000 of the original inhabitants of the Kurds of Afrin who have been taking shelter in 40 villages and five camps in Shahba region since then.
There are about 16.000 displaced families from Afrin distributed over 42 villages and towns in Shahba region, in addition to 1.870 families, comprising 7.500 individuals, now living in the camps of Barkhodan, Sardam, Afrin, al-Awda, and Shahba, according to the Social Affairs and Labor Board of the Afrin region, currently operating in Aleppo northern countryside.
The area has been militarily protected by Russian and Syrian government forces since 2018.
Hannan is afraid of the continuation of the siege during winter, as 1.662 families of 3.665 of Afrini IDPs, who reside in the town of Tel Rifaat, have not received fuel this year.
Abdulkarim Hemasho, an official in the municipality of Tel Rifaat, said that as a result of the siege, they have rationed the hours of operating electricity generators to three instead of seven a day.
“If the area does not get diesel, even water pumps will not work,” Hemasho added.
Each liter of diesel in Tel Rifaat costs 7.500 SYP (about $1.4), according to the owners of cars and gas stations.
On October 31, Subhi al-Ahmad, co-chair of Education Board in Aleppo countryside, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) criticized the almost complete absence of international health organizations in the region, saying, “During the spread of coronavirus pandemic, we suffered and recorded deaths due to neglecting this region, which is full of IDPs.”