Turkish forces cuts off water supply in northeast Syria town

Hasakeh residents have been caught up in spats between Turkish forces and Syria's Kurds

Published: August 26, 2020 08:44 AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

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As coronavirus spreads across northeastern Syria, residents in Hasakeh have been caught up in spats between Turkish forces to the north and Syria's Kurds, viewed by Ankara as "terrorists". Image Credit: AFP

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In October last year, Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies occupied a 120-kilometre (75-mile) stretch of land inside the Syrian border, including the Alouk power station that supplies drinking water to Hasakeh. Image Credit: AFP

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Kurdish officials say Turkey is now using the water station to pressure the local authorities into giving them more electricity in areas Ankara seized from them. Image Credit: AFP

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While Turkey claims the station has merely been under maintenance, aid organisations have warned against using water as a political or military tool to the detriment of civilians. Image Credit: AFP

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In the city's narrow streets, women and children clutched empty jerrycans, waiting to fill them up from water deliveries, some from aid groups. Image Credit: AFP

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The Kurds say there have been eight interruptions to the supply of water from the station near the town of Ras al-Ain since last autumn. Image Credit: AFP

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The issue has sparked increasing concern at a time when confirmed coronavirus infections have risen to 362 cases including 25 deaths in Syria's Kurdish-held northeast, according to data provided by the semi-autonomous administration. Dozens of those cases are in Hasakeh. Image Credit: AFP

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In March, the United Nations warned one of the earlier water supply interruptions from Alouk was putting 460,000 people at risk in the Hasakeh area, as the pandemic spread worldwide. Image Credit: AFP

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The Kurds say the water has been cut off, and the hashtag "Thirst is strangling Hasakeh" has been trending online. Damascus on Monday accused Ankara of using water as a "weapon against Syrian civilians". Image Credit: AFP

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A Syrian girl rushes to fill up water from cisterns provided by humanitarian organisations during a water outage in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh Image Credit: AFP

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A displaced Syrian brings water back to their camp. Image Credit: AFP

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