25/02/2020

Turkish occupation in Rish Ayno shut down Alouk water station demanding electricity be run to the city

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA – Yesterday, the Turkish occupation forces (TOF) who invaded North Syria in October 2019 and have occupied the Tel Abyad and Rish Ayno (Ras al-Ayn) and the surrounding countryside shut down the Alouk water station which provides the majority of Jazira Regions drinking water, servicing nearly half-a-million people, including Hasakah city, Tal Tamr, and the many IDP camps in the area.

Alouk water station is located in the Rish Ayno countryside near the Syrian-Turkish border and has been subjected to several attacks by Turkey since 2017.

In a 17 February 2020 report published by PopularFront detailing Turkey’s targeting of water stations in North and East Syria, Kimberly Westenhiser wrote:

“Alouk was targeted by artillery and machine gun fire in April of 2017, when tensions between the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia and the Turkish military escalated. The damage stopped operations for a 24-hour period before repairs could be made. This was followed by another strike in 2018, and another in July 2019, according to [Sozdar Ahmed, the Joint Administrator of Water for Hasakeh Governate].”

Despite the difficulty caused by Turkey’s cutting off of water from Alouk, the Water Bureau will provide civilians with water from alternative sources.

A source in the Syrian government water directorate stated that, “The Turkish occupation forces cut off drinking water from Alouk station in Ras al-Ain countryside. The occupation forces demand connecting electricity to the entire city of Ras al-Ain in order to allow resuming water pumping process.”