Turkish Military Actions Deepen Water Crisis for Over a Million in Syria

In a troubling escalation of conflict, Turkish military operations have significantly cut off water and electricity access in northeastern Syria, affecting over a million residents and prompting international legal concerns regarding potential war crimes.

Turkish air strikes in the drought-affected regions of northeastern Syria have put more than a million residents at risk by severing their access to essential resources like water and electricity. The Turkish military has reportedly conducted over a hundred air strikes on Kurdish-controlled areas between October 2019 and January 2024, targeting oil fields, gas facilities, and crucial power stations, raising alarms for potential violations of international law, experts warn.

The strikes have turned a dire humanitarian situation into a full-fledged crisis in an area that has already faced years of civil war coupled with increasing impacts from climate change, leading to drastic water shortages stemming from prolonged drought conditions. Residents formerly reliant on the Alouk water station for their supply are now resorting to tanker deliveries from distant sources, but the available water is far from sufficient for the population in Hassakeh.

The Turkish government defends its operations as necessary measures against Kurdish groups it characterizes as terrorists, while undermining accusations that their actions indiscriminately affect civilians. However, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) has rebuffed these claims, asserting Turkey's intent to harm their population's very existence.

Eyewitness accounts highlight escalating desperation among residents as water has become an extremely sought-after commodity. “Water is more precious than gold here,” remarked a tanker driver. With water shortages intensifying, conflicts over limited supplies are reportedly rising, leading to dramatic confrontations amongst desperate residents.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has labeled the AANES as a "terror state," exacerbating the already complex dynamics resulting from the ongoing civil war and international military presence in the region aimed at curbing the resurgence of extremist factions like the Islamic State (IS).

Recently reported strikes on electricity facilities have resulted in significant power outages across the region, as corroborated by satellite imagery analysis. Humanitarian organizations, alongside the United Nations, are sounding alarms regarding the legality of Turkish military strategies, suggesting they might amount to war crimes due to their impact on civilian access to water.

Experts in international humanitarian law assert that such military strikes could potentially violate international law and stress the urgent need for scrutiny by relevant prosecutorial authorities. The Turkish government counterclaims that their military actions fully comply with international standards and that they are not responsible for the humanitarian crisis, attributing such conditions to climate change and neglected infrastructure.

As conditions worsen, local residents express feelings of abandonment and desperation. “We are just asking for drinking water,” a water testing lead lamented, emphasizing the dire need for humanitarian assistance amidst the escalating conflict. The situation remains precarious, as international observers begin to pressure for accountability and humanitarian relief efforts in the beleaguered region.