Exclusive interviews | Organizations concerning with providing water to nearly 25 camps in north Idlib suspend working for five months
As summer approaches, the need to clean water is escalating, particularly the daily need of drinking water in refugee camps in north-western Syria. The displaced people in the camps in north Syria region depend on humanitarian organizations concerning with providing tanks of water for free. However, the support of water to these camps sometimes interrupts. Such interruption is attributed to several factors, including the suspension of the donors’ financing to these organizations.
Since late 2020, the organizations have suspended drinking water supplies provided to over 25 camps in several areas in north Syria region, including Sarmada, Atma, Killi and Harbanoush, which shoulders the inhabitants of these camps more burdens in light on the high price of water they are forced to buy. It is worth noting that the population of these camps reaches 10,000 to 15,000 people.
Talking to SOHR about the issue of the interruption of water supplies, an official in Harbanoush camp in the northern countryside of Idlib said “water supplies have been interrupted since November 2020, as the working of the projects providing drinking water supplies to the camp has been suspended. Accordingly, the camp’s residents are forced to buy water, despite its high price and despite their poverty. These camps have received no drinking water supplies for mover than five months, while no workable solution looms on the horizon still. The inhabitants find it difficult to secure water and bread which are needed most in these camps. Several organizations support projects which provide water and bread to many camps in lower prices. I hope the projects of subsidized water to resume their work so soon.”
In a testimony to SOHR, a displaced civilian known by his initials as M.S. from Maarrat Al-Nu’man in the northern countryside of Idlib and now living in a camp in killi in the same countryside said “for nearly five months, I buy two tanks of water every month at 80 TL, in this relatively high price in light of my dire living condition and lack of job opportunities. The water supplies provided previously to the camp enabled me to save the money I spend today for water, as I could get enough water from tanks provided by donor organizations. Now, the interruption of water supplies has further burdened me, especially since the price of drinking water changes due to the unstable exchanging rate of Turkish lira against the US dollar and the high prices of fuel. Sometimes, the price of a tank of water with a capacity of 20 barrels reaches 50 TL.”
Another displaced man known as A.M. who have been displaced from Kafr Zita town in the northern countryside of Hama to a camp in Atma in the northern countryside of Idlib, shared his experience with SOHR. The man said “I try hard to ration my use of water due to its high price, as the securing of water is my largest problem in the recent times because I can not secure the money needed every month for buying water. We need workable solutions for the lack and high price of drinking water in refugee camps, and we do not have to wait until the projects of water to be back in service. Water has to be provided to all refugee camps in north Syria region in easier ways. Most of the families of the camp where he lives are very poor, and they barely manage their own lives. However, the water high price further burdens these families. While the camps’ inhabitants fear that the interruption of subsidized water lasts for long, especially with the start of hot weather in the region and the high prices of fuel needed for extracting and transporting water.”