AANES condemns Turkey’s cutting off of water to Hasakah
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said on Thursday that Turkey did not abide by a deal it made with the AANES stipulating operating Alouk water pumping station, which is the main source of water for Hasakah city and its countryside in northeast Syria.
Issa Younes, co-chair of the AANES’ Water Directorate of Hasakah, told North Press that in an effort by UNICEF to re-operate the station, which is located in the countryside of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) in northern Hasakah, they responded to its request of supplying the station with electricity.
The agreement stipulated that the AANES would supply 5 megawatts per hour in exchange for Turkey to operate 19 wells. However, he said, Turkey did not abide by the deal and did not supply water to Hasakah until 17 days later.
The official said that they cut off power to the station on Saturday because the water supply is insufficient and does not meet the people’s needs, and because of the electricity thefts taking place on the line.
Turkey has controlled the Alouk station since its military operation in October 2019 in which it occupied Sere Kaniye and Tel Abyad, depriving more than 500,000 people of water, despite repeated UN calls for not weaponizing water.
The AANES has worked, during the past years, on several projects to draw water to Hasakah, but none of them succeeded.
The statement called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to take action to find a solution to the water problem in the city.