Rebel group supported by Turkey uses water as “Weapon of warBlocking the flow of a river in northern Syria that is vital to Kurdish communities living downstream, the NGO today denounced in a report released today.
According to a study conducted by the Dutch NGO PAX for Peace, a rebel group called the Syrian National Army (ANS) erected three embankments in May, blocking the flow of the Hambur River.
ANS is an armed, funded by Turkey , operating in an area bordering the Kurdish semi-autonomous zone in the northeast Syria. The latter is controlled by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
However, Turkey, according to the Athens News Agency, considers the main Kurdish militia, which is an integral part of the SDF, to be the Syrian extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is characterized by “terrorist»Organization by Ankara and Turkey’s western allies.
“A clear example of the use of water as a weapon of war”
According to the PAX report, which is based on field research and satellite image analysis, blocking the flow of the Hambur River during the summer drought months is a “a clear example of the use of water as a weapon of war».
The construction of the embankments exacerbated the effects of the severe drought that affected the area this year and “farmers did not have access to water when they needed it most, “said the report, which includes satellite images of the three embankments.
The 320-kilometer-long Hambur River is a tributary of the Euphrates that originates in Turkey and crosses much of the northeastern Syria, passing through the Kurdish-controlled area of ​​Hasakeh.
Thousands of Syrian families have not had access to river water since the embankments were built, PAX estimates. The NGO alleges a violation of international humanitarian law.
“This may be a calculated move by the ANS to starvation of the civilian population and / or its forced displacement as a tactic of war, “the NGO added, calling on the international community to put pressure on Turkey to ensure that civilians have access to drinking water.
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