During his reception of representatives from UNICEF, the Governor of Al-Hasakah called for serious efforts to reactivate the Alouk Water Pumping Station, which supplies the city of Al-Hasakah, amid the continued prevention by Turkish occupation mercenaries from restoring water pumping despite the integration agreement between the Syrian interim government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Al-Hasakah Governor Nour al-Din Ahmed discussed with representatives of UNICEF and the Directorates of Water and Education ways to accelerate the reopening of the Alouk Water Station, in light of the ongoing water crisis that the governorate has suffered from for years.
During the meeting, the head of the organization’s office, Julie Faranda, reviewed UNICEF’s activities in the governorate and the possibility of strengthening cooperation with official bodies, particularly with regard to supporting the water sector and rehabilitating the infrastructure of essential services.
The Governor of al-Hasakah stressed the need to quickly restart the Alouk Station, which is the main source of drinking water for the city of al-Hasakah and its countryside, in addition to discussing the possibility of rehabilitating several damaged schools in the governorate.
These efforts come at a time when approximately 1.5 million people in al-Hasakah and its countryside have been facing an ongoing water crisis since 2019, after water pumping stopped from the Alouk station located in the Serê Kaniyê / Ras al-Ain area. This has forced residents to rely on expensive water tankers or shallow wells that often lack proper health standards.
According to local sources, international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with several UN agencies, have proposed initiatives to restart the station and cover maintenance costs. However, these efforts have not yet resulted in the restoration of water pumping.
Water from the Alouk station has been cut off to the cities of al-Hasakah and Tal Tamr more than 28 times over the past four years, and it has been completely halted since June 2023, despite repeated international mediation efforts.
The water crisis in al-Hasakah Governorate therefore remains unresolved, awaiting practical steps that would fully restore the operation of the Alouk Water Station and end years of suffering for residents in accessing safe drinking and domestic water.
