Northeast Syria: Turkish-backed forces cutoff water to over 1 million people

The Turkish-backed forces have once again cut off water to the Syrian city of Hasakah and its western countryside, after obstructing the operation of the Alouk water station in the countryside of Ras al-Ain, depriving over a million people of drinking water.

The director of the Water Corporation, Eng. Mahmoud Al-Ekla, told the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on Saturday that the militant groups blocked the water flow from the Alouk station and prevented any repair crews from entering the site.

The Alouk water station in the eastern countryside of Ras al-Ain is the only source for securing drinking water for over one million people in Hasakah.

The water flow from the station has been repeatedly obstructed by the Turkish-backed forces, prompting outrage from Damascus and accusations against Turkey of ordering this shut down of resources in Al-Hasakah.

The governor of Al-Hasakah, Major General Ghassan Halim Khalil, confirmed that the previous return of drinking water to the city of Hasakah and the town of Tal Tamr and their countrysides last August, took place after joint Syrian and Russian governmental efforts, which led to the resumption of the operation.

On Friday, the Water Corporation installed two electrical transformers and two divers for the wells at the Alouk water project in Ras al-Ain countryside, which was submitted by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent branch and the International Committee of the Red Cross, with the aim of improving and increasing pumping operations.