North and east Syria at risk of going from dire to catastrophic

Co-operation in Mesopotamia, a project providing comprehensive information on co-operatives in Kurdish regions, has published a report on the situation in North and East Syria (NES) after the Turkish attacks. The organization notes that Turkey’s latest offensive has been described as the worst and most widespread destruction of infrastructure to date, with 80% of civilian infrastructure in northern and eastern Syria destroyed. It adds that the region, where millions of people are already suffering from water shortages and power cuts, is at risk of total humanitarian collapse.

Severe electricity cuts and water shortages

Many power plants, oil fields and fuel depots were destroyed, as well as water facilities such as water pumping stations, dams, wells and pumping stations, causing water supply disruptions in some cities. Turkey also bombed the Suwaydiyah gas and power station, the only gas bottling plant in the region, which also provides 50% of the regular electricity for the Jazira region and is vital for pumping and supplying water. The total cost of repairing the gas plant alone is estimated at over 50 million dollars. It is also noted that many of the parts needed are not easily replaceable.

In addition, Covid Hospital in Dêrik, one of the most important hospitals in the region, was completely destroyed. Electricity has been cut to at least 46 hospitals and health facilities, cold chains for medicines have been broken and many hospitals are still calling for blood donations. Co-operation Mesopotamia is appealing for donations to help the Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor a Kurd) provide vital humanitarian aid on the ground.

Impact of Turkish attacks lasting and severe

The Northeast Syria (NES) NGO Forum also published a situation report, entitled ‘Impact of hostilities targeting critical civilian infrastructures in Northeast Syria’. It states that the impact of the attacks on civilians is already lasting and severe. The NES NGO Forum stresses that these impacts will continue to be felt until electricity, water, fuel and other infrastructure critical to essential services and daily life are restored. Moreover, it underlines that the nature and severity of the damage on civilian infrastructure critical to essential services in the NES cannot be underestimated, adding: “The scale of damage far supersedes the capacity of the humanitarian community to sustain emergency life-saving service provision.”

Given the possibility of a new wave of attacks based on the statement of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has declared the intensive bombing the first phase of the Turkish offensive in Syria, the NGO says the situation is already alarming. The NES NGO Forum, which is working with the UN to develop a contingency plan for possible scenarios in the event of a further escalation of attacks, notes that if significant damage to civilian infrastructure is not addressed, further escalation would not be required to turn the situation from dire to catastrophic.