Tishreen Dam Administration sounds the alarm on imminent disaster, demands immediate action

 Since December 8, 2024, Turkish forces and their mercenaries have persistently attacked Tishreen Dam in the Autonomous Administration regions of North and East Syria. Employing both warplanes and drones, these assaults aim to seize control of the region and deliberately destroy critical infrastructure that provides essential services to over five million residents.

The Tishreen Hydropower Dam is a cornerstone of the region’s infrastructure, supplying electricity, drinking water, and irrigation resources to a substantial population. However, the ongoing attacks have severely compromised its structural integrity and operational capacity. The dam has sustained significant damage, both to its core infrastructure and operational equipment, creating an imminent risk of collapse.

Constructed between 1991 and 1999, Tishreen Dam is one of Syria's most vital infrastructure projects and the second-largest dam in the country after the Euphrates Dam. Its reservoir holds approximately 1.9 billion cubic meters of water, serving as a primary source for drinking water and irrigation in the surrounding areas.

The dam’s six turbines have a combined capacity of generating 642 megawatts of electricity, which plays a crucial role in powering both local and national electrical grids. A complete shutdown of the dam would deprive millions of access to electricity and water, exacerbating the suffering of the Syrian population.

The Turkish military’s ongoing assaults over the past 50 days have inflicted severe and multifaceted damage on Tishreen Dam, directly threatening its stability and functionality.

Technical and Structural Damage

Electrical Systems and Turbines: The dam has ceased generating electricity entirely due to the destruction of electrical systems, resulting in the complete shutdown of its six turbines.

Water Pumps and Flooding: Attacks have disabled seepage drainage pumps, leading to water inundation around turbine supports, electrical equipment, and lower passageways. This flooding has rendered maintenance and operation impossible.

Structural Vibrations and Leaks: Continuous bombardment with warplanes, drones, and artillery has caused significant vibrations, increasing leaks within the dam’s body and placing undue pressure on its core structure.

Electrical Isolation: The destruction of transformer yards, which connect the dam to national electricity grids, has isolated it entirely from the network.

Environmental Risks: Oil tanks located atop the dam are now at risk of igniting due to the attacks, potentially triggering an environmental disaster that would worsen the humanitarian crisis.

A Call for Immediate Action

The escalating damage to Tishreen Dam demands urgent international intervention to halt these violations and prevent an imminent humanitarian and environmental disaster. The dam’s collapse would not only devastate local populations but also have far-reaching implications for the stability of the entire region.

Humanitarian and Service Impacts

The damage caused by the attacks is not limited to technical and structural aspects; the humanitarian repercussions are equally devastating. The suspension of Tishreen Dam's operations has resulted in severe disruptions to daily life:

Power Outages: Over 400,000 residents in areas surrounding the dam, including Kobani, Manbij, and Sirrin, have been left without electricity. The power grids that once supplied these cities are now completely offline, leaving no alternative energy sources to sustain these communities.

Water Supply Disruptions: The shutdown of the dam has also halted water networks essential for drinking and irrigation. The dam previously supplied water to key stations such as Khafsa, Babiri, and Maskana, which in turn served Aleppo, Manbij, Kobani, Sirrin, Jarniya, and extensive agricultural lands. This disruption threatens food security for communities heavily reliant on the dam for agricultural irrigation.

Environmental Damage

From an environmental perspective, the suspension of operations has led to rising water levels in the dam’s reservoir. Without functional pumps to manage the water flow, the risk of dam collapse has increased significantly. A collapse would cause catastrophic flooding, submerging entire villages and cities along both banks of the Euphrates River. The resulting floodwaters could also extend into Iraq, further exacerbating the crisis through rapid and uncontrolled water flow.

Emergency Mitigation Efforts

Despite the severe risks and the challenges posed by ongoing Turkish attacks, the dam’s administration, in collaboration with international organizations, has undertaken several emergency measures to mitigate the damage and preserve minimal operational functionality.

Key Emergency Actions

1. Procurement of Emergency Equipment:

Submersible pumps were deployed to extract leaked water from lower tunnels, enabling partial restoration of key systems.

2. Alternative Power Supply:

A backup generator, provided in coordination with organizations like UNICEF and the International Red Cross, has been installed to support minimal operation of critical equipment.

3. Temporary Electrical Repairs:

Maintenance teams have performed temporary repairs to power lines connecting Tishreen Dam with the Euphrates Dam, ensuring a limited power supply.

4. Turbine Reactivation:

Despite extensive damage, technicians managed to restart one turbine to provide

Essential Measures for Restoring Tishreen Dam

Restoring Tishreen Dam to full operational capacity and ensuring its long-term sustainability requires the immediate implementation of critical actions, contingent upon halting Turkish occupation attacks and guaranteeing the safety of technical teams.

Urgent Maintenance and Repairs

1. Electrical and Mechanical Equipment Restoration:

Waterlogged electrical and mechanical systems need comprehensive drying and meticulous repairs to resume functionality.

Transformer yards and damaged electrical networks must be repaired and reconnected to the national grid. Approximately 25 tons of turbine oil are required to restart the remaining units.

2. Structural Reinforcements:

A thorough structural inspection of the dam is necessary to identify and repair cracks or other damages, ensuring long-term stability.

3. Procurement of Emergency Equipment:

High-capacity pumps are needed to remove accumulated water from the dam's internal structures.

Advanced submersible pumps must be deployed to address increasing leaks effectively and swiftly and additional electrical and mechanical equipment is essential to fully restore the dam’s systems.

Ensuring Safety and Capacity Building

Safety Guarantees for Technical Teams:

Immediate cessation of Turkish attacks is critical to secure the safe entry and operation of engineering and technical teams at the site.

International Support and Training:

Global assistance is required to train additional personnel and equip them with the necessary resources to maintain the dam.

An Urgent Appeal to the International Community

The Tishreen Dam Administration has issued an urgent call for international intervention to halt the Turkish occupation's attacks and their mercenaries, which jeopardize the dam and the safety of surrounding populations.

The administration has emphasized the need for immediate support to: Provide essential technical equipment for repairs. Ensure safe access for engineering teams to carry out critical work. The administration warned that the collapse of the dam would result in an unparalleled humanitarian and environmental disaster. The ramifications would extend far beyond the immediate vicinity, impacting vast regions of Syria.

Restoring and safeguarding the dam is a shared humanitarian responsibility that demands swift, decisive action to prevent an irreversible catastrophe.

a.k

ANHA