Enab Baladi – Quneitra
The town of Kodna and some neighboring towns in southern Quneitra have faced a shortage of drinking water after Israeli occupation forces took control of the Western and Eastern Red Hills, where drinking water sources are located nearby.
Israeli occupation forces advanced to the two hills after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, taking control of nearby drinking water sources that supply Kodna and about eight villages in its surroundings.
60% shortage of needs
Mohammad al-Fawaz, an employee of Kodna Water Network, told Enab Baladi that after the Israeli forces took control of the Western and Eastern Red Hills, they destroyed the drinking water well and prevented staff from approaching the pumps during January and February.
After the restriction, the Israeli forces allowed staff to access the drinking pumps from 8 AM to 4 PM, which hindered their operation at night and deprived the population of long hours of service.
Al-Fawaz added that the wells near the Red Hills supply about eight villages around Kodna.
The head of the local council of Kodna, Ali al-Tahan, stated to Enab Baladi that the Israeli forces limited staff access to the pumps between 8 AM and 4 PM, which resulted in a loss of approximately 60% of the drinking water quantities. Additionally, some wells were destroyed, and the council, in cooperation with the Quneitra Water Directorate, worked on restoring them.
These events coincided with drought in the area and reduced rainfall, which led to the absence of water in ponds and aggregate water bodies, along with a decline in the water level of dams.
High financial costs
The water shortage compelled residents to resort to costly alternatives that are not subject to high health monitoring standards. For instance, Ahmed Mamdouh, a resident of Kodna, buys four water tankers weekly, each holding 25 barrels, at a cost of 500,000 Syrian pounds.
Mamdouh told Enab Baladi that the cost has become an additional financial burden, as water was previously available before Israel’s entry into the area, coinciding with the drying up of his surface well, preventing him from filling the ponds he used for watering livestock.
Meanwhile, Yasin al-Tahan requires two tankers of water daily at a cost of 200,000 Syrian pounds in the same town, as he owns a horse farm and a dairy farm.
Al-Tahan estimated, in his conversation with Enab Baladi, the monthly cost of buying water at six million Syrian pounds, which drives him to sell some of his livestock to secure the cost of water if the shortage persists.
For his part, the head of the local council, Ali al-Tahan, stated that the council submitted a request to the water directorate to operate circulating tankers in Kodna and the surrounding villages, but the directorate’s response indicated that there were no available resources for that.
Al-Tahan added that drinking water reaches each house once a week now, compared to daily before, and a homeowner can only fill five barrels.
After the fall of Assad’s regime, Israel exploited the security vacuum and occupied the summit of Mount Hermon and some areas in Quneitra, taking control of the Western and Eastern Red Hills and occupying the Jazira area in Daraa governorate. The presence of Israeli forces has disrupted most of the farmers‘ and livestock owners’ interests in the region.
Israel disrupts water supply to towns in Quneitra Enab Baladi.
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