ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The administration of north and east Syria (Rojava) on Saturday appealed to the international community to halt Turkey-backed militant attacks on Tishreen Dam, warning the structure could collapse.
“The violence perpetrated by the Turkish army and its allied factions has heightened concerns regarding the structural integrity of the Tishreen Dam. The potential for further targeting of this critical infrastructure poses an immediate threat to the lives of hundreds of civilians in the region,” read a statement by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), adding that any attacks on the dam could have catastrophic consequences.
The dam, located on the Euphrates River, provides electricity to much of Rojava and serves many cities and towns. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took control of the facility from ISIS in 2015 with the help of American troops.
The dam has been the focus of attacks by Turkey and Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) militants for the past month.
Rojava’s administration “urgently” called for “immediate intervention” by the international community to stop Turkey and ensure the protection of civilian lives and infrastructure.
“We sincerely hope that you will consider the gravity of this situation and work to prevent a humanitarian disaster that could affect millions of people in the region,” they concluded.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also expressed concern over the humanitarian implications of attacks on the dam.
“The ICRC is highly concerned about the potential humanitarian consequences of ongoing hostilities near various essential infrastructure in Aleppo Governorate, putting at risk critical facilities such as dams, power stations, and water treatment facilities. Any damage to these important facilities may cause their disruption or full collapse with potential catastrophic humanitarian consequences for millions of civilians,” the ICRC stated in late December.
The hostilities affected water and electricity access for at least 413,000 people in Manbij and Kobane, according to the United Nations in late December.
Turkey considers the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the SDF, as the Syrian front for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and has threatened to carry out a military offensive against them.