Escalating crisis in SDF-held areas | Power rationing badly affects many aspects and deepens civilians suffering in Al-Hasakah
Al-Hasakah province: The fuel Authority of Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has ordered generator owners to operate them for limited hours and force their owners to operate the generators less than normal working hours.
The fuel Authority has ordered the owners of the generators in Al-Derbasiyah to operate generators feeding neighbourhoods for only eight hours instead of 11 hours a day and denied them diesel allocations to operate the generators for 11 hours.
Speaking to SOHR, an employee of the People’s Municipality in Al-Darbasiyah known by his initials as (H. A), says that the owners of the generators had reviewed the municipality and told them that they had reduced the hours of operation of the generators they had previously agreed upon, namely, operating the generator for 11 hours, provided that the price has raised from 6,000 SYP to 8,000 SYP per ampere.
A dentist, known by his initials as N. A., says to SOHR that the reasons for power rationing by generator owners are not known, but it may be a punishment as the residents of the city are deliberately deprived of electricity, while the rest of the cities have access to electricity, for example, in Amoda city, electricity operates for four continuous hours, but in Al-Darbasiyah there is no electricity, which badly affected our work. When electricity was available from 09:00 am to 01:30 pm, I was able to deal with 12 patients in my clinic. Recently, I am able to deal with only six cases, as electricity is available from 10:00 am to 01:00 pm. In the night shift, however, I had dealt with nearly 15 cases, when the generator was activated from 03:00 pm to 9:00 pm. These days, the generator is activated from 05:00 pm to 09:00, so I can deal with six cases.”
A cardiologist known as W. S. has told SOHR “I cannot open my clinic before 10:00 am, and this affects my job greatly, where patients have to wait for hours until generators are activated, especially since grid electricity has been interrupted in the city since early 2023.”
A widow and mother of four boys known by her initials as M. R. says “I live on assistance delivered to my and my children. I had consumed three amperes every day for lightening only, so that my children do not remain in darkness. I had paid 5,000 SYP per ampere, before the price has been risen to 8,000 SYP; this makes us shoulder extra burdens, especially with the skyrocketing prices.”
Speaking to SOHR, a dressmaker known by her initials as S. A. says, “I live with my mother and money I gain from dressmaking is the only income for us. The reduction of the hours during which electricity is available and the increase of prices, have affected my work greatly. I refused six orders from my customers this month, as I would not be able to finish the orders on time, because of long hours of power outage.”
It is worth noting that the “Directorate of Fuel,” “Al-Shaab Municipality” and the owners of generators control the hours during which electricity is available in the region. However, the authorities dominating the region have failed so far to reach a workable solution for the crisis, although the region is resources-rich, as it contains many dams which could potentially produce electricity.