“Water is a weapon of war” against Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Syria

The report found that the so-called “Syrian National Army”, in which the pro-Ankara factions are affiliated, created dams on the Khabur River, which passes through several villages in northeastern Syria before continuing to the south and pouring into the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor Governorate (east).These factions, with the support of Turkish forces, control large border areas in northern Syria after military attacks targeting mainly the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization.

The PAX report, which relied on field work and satellite imagery, found that these species placing berms on a main river at a time when the region faced the driest summer is “an unequivocal example of the use of water as a weapon of war.”

The report showed that the three dams exacerbated the repercussions of the severe drought in the region.

“The effect of the intense heat has been amplified by limited amounts of rain, which means that farming communities have less water than ever before and when they need it most,” he added.Pictures published by Pax showed the three dams, and the first dam was built on May 22 this year.

The Khabur River stretches for 320 kilometers and is a tributary of the Euphrates. It originates in Turkey and passes through Al-Hasakah Governorate, which is the food basket of Syria.

According to the report, thousands of families were deprived of access to water due to the construction of dams, in a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

The report states, “This could be a deliberate measure used by the ‘Syrian National Army’ (factions) with the aim of starving the civilian population and/or causing its forced displacement as a method of warfare.”

In its recommendations, the organization urges the international community to urge Turkey to ensure that all civilians have access to the Khabur waters.