Citizens in Hasakah recount their continuous suffering from the lack of water after the Turkish occupation cut off water supplies

The daily suffering of more than a million Syrian citizens in Hasakah while trying to get drinking water, after the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries cut off water supplies to the city’s neighborhoods, reflects one of the ugliest forms of terrorism practiced against peoples.

Since the Turkish occupation invaded the Syrian city of Ras Al-Ayn, controlled Allouk water station and cut off the only source of potable water to the city of Hasakah and to dozens of villages, the locals in this city have been experiencing very harsh conditions under the complete silence of international organizations and commissions over an evident war crime.

“We are suffering a lot in our attempts to secure drinking water. We have to walk for long to get some water that can hardly meet our need,” Oum Naser, an elderly woman told SANA, pointing out that she and her grand children have to run as fast as possible to benefit from the short period of time during which a water tanker, either affiliated to the government or to a civil society, comes to provide water to locals in the area.

 She said that the government and the civil societies are exerting massive efforts to provide locals with drinking water, but this is not enough to secure the locals’ need completely, calling for finding a lasting solution that help re-operate the Allouk station.

Oum Ibrahim, another elderly woman, talked about her suffering while transferring water from the tanker that stops far from her house.

She said that some owners of private water tankers exploit the locals’ need and increase the price of water, pointing out that she has to pay 10,000 Syrian pounds for 1000 liters of water, a quantity that can’t meet the need of two persons for five days.

Abu Subhi, a 52-year-old man who resides in the center of city, said that the suffering is exacerbating day after day. “”The occupation has no conscience and its mercenaries are thieves ,” he stressed, pointing out that “I have to wait hours for the water tanker to come so that I can get some of my daily need of water.”

“Water has not come through the main network for almost two months. Temperature is currently high and water consumption is bigger and the water that comes through the tankers can only meet a small part of our need,” Abu Subhi clarified, calling for holding the Turkish occupation accountable for this crime.   

Hamda Mustafa