Hasaka Water crisis deepens as Alouk Station remains closed

The water crisis in the city of Hasaka and its countryside continues, as more than one million people still live without regular drinking water, amid the absence of any practical steps by the interim government to address the issue, despite years passing since the Alouk water station stopped operating fully or partially.

The crisis dates back to October 9, 2019, when the Turkish army and its affiliated factions launched an attack on the city of Serekaniye, which led to the shelling of the Alouk station and the factions’ decision to stop pumping water toward Hasaka.

While residents rely on difficult alternatives to secure water—such as expensive water tankers and shallow wells that are often unsuitable for drinking due to salinity and high lime content—the interim government has taken no practical steps to restart the station or find sustainable solutions.

According to information obtained by ANHA agency, water institutions in Serekaniye have not yet taken any concrete step toward operating the Alouk station.

According to officials responsible for water in the municipalities of Hasakah under the Autonomous Administration, the Turkish authorities and their affiliated factions had previously justified the shutdown by claiming the lack of electricity needed to operate the station. However, this justification no longer stands after the dams supplying electricity to the area returned to the control of the interim government, making the continued shutdown of the station a direct responsibility of the interim government’s institutions.

Despite repeated meetings between Governor Nour al-Din Ahmed, representatives of UNICEF, and the interim government, during which the governor stressed the importance of restarting the Alouk station and activating the provisions of the January 29 agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the interim government, the crisis continues.

ANHA