متوفر باللغة العربية أيضاً
Bi Kurdî jî peyda dibe
Qamishli 12/06/2022
Northeastern Syria is experiencing an unprecedented water crisis, affecting all life aspects of life. It is reflected in a severe decrease in the level of the Euphrates River originating in Turkey and flowing through Syria and Iraq. Furthermore, there is a drinking water crisis in Al-Hasakah. The drinking water is repeatedly being cut off at the Allouk station located in the countryside of Serêkaniyê city / Ras al-Ain, after the pro-Turkish Syrian factions’ control over it in October 2010. Allouk Station is the only source supplying the city and its countryside with drinking water. All of this is happening in light of climate changes threatening the world. However, the conflict countries are the most affected by these changes. Therefore, it was necessary to work within a project aiming to take cognizance of this crisis’ aspects, to reach outputs that can be built upon, to reach solutions that would either end this crisis or mitigate its adverse effects on the lives of northeastern Syria’s residents.
Then the project idea came up and was proposed by Nextep Organization in partnership with the Walat Media Foundation to Free Press Unlimited (FPU). The Project is divided into two phases. The first phase is holding four dialogue sessions about the most significant effects caused by the water crisis. One of the sessions addressed the political and military conflicts and their implications for this crisis, as Turkey cuts off the drinking water from Al-Hasakah, through its loyalist Syrian factions who control the city of Serêkaniyê / Ras Al-Ain. And as a result of the conflict with the warring parties Syrian, Turkey also reduces the flow of the Euphrates River to Syria. The sessions also addressed the repercussions of the water crisis on the internal and external migration of people as a way to escape from constantly worsening suffering. In addition, the impact of the crisis on the state of civil peace after disputes broke out between the people over water. Finally, its impact on public health, agriculture, and livestock, as the low level of the Euphrates River led to the stagnation of drinking water, thus, its pollution, which resulted in many diseases due to drinking contaminated water. Furthermore, the lack of rain, along with the drop in the river level, affected the agricultural sector, which experienced a clear decline, in turn, affected the livestock, which was also affected by the absence of pastures and the reliance on unsafe water for watering.
The project’s second phase has been to advocate the water crisis question, re-introducing it, and keeping it in circulation as an issue of public opinion. It included producing media materials supporting the themes of the dialogue sessions. Accordingly, Welat Media Foundation (the partner organization) has produced four media reports and 16 online promotional posters highlighting quotes from these reports to reach the largest possible audience. The reports were originally produced in Arabic and translated into English and Kurdish, then published on Nextep Organization’s and Welat Media Foundation’s social media platforms.
As a support for the advocacy process, Nextep has shared the proposed solutions within the outcomes of the dialogue sessions with several international organizations and actors related to the issue of the water crisis and will share them with the local authorities in northeastern Syria as well.
The project contributed to covering the water crisis in northeastern Syria from various aspects by producing media content that included extensive and comprehensive information about the water crisis and its most important effects. Nextep and the Walat Media Foundation assure that this information will be available to any party wishing to advocate for this issue, be it civil society organizations, media foundations, or governmental and non-governmental organizations. This content is not subject to any copyright except a Creative Commons license.
Nextep Organization
Al-Mahdi Bin Baraka St. (12 March martyrs’ Stadium St.), Qamishli, Al-Hasakah, Syria.
00963980384149
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