At the end of October 2024, Turkish military forces launched an enormous wave of airstrikes against mostly civilian targets in northeast Syria. Millions of people in the region, already battered by previous strikes, a siege-like economic embargo, and incoming refugees fleeing Lebanon’s war, have seen their daily lives become increasingly difficult as power stations, water wells, oil and energy infrastructure, hospitals and bakeries are targeted by Turkish bombs.
According to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), 17 civilians and two military personnel have been killed in this wave of airstrikes, and another 48 civilians and nine military personnel were wounded.
While the casualty numbers are relatively low, with winter fast approaching the lack of electricity that the region will be enduring makes a difficult situation all the more critical.
The Autonomous Administration’s Energy Committee released data on the damage to the region’s energy infrastructure. Fifteen transformers used by the region’s electricity stations have been affected by the strikes; stations in Kobani and Amude being taken completely offline. Each transformer costs approximately $500,000 to $1,000,000 depending on its size.
The Energy Committee stated that with winter approaching, the region urgently needs ten new transformers to meet the basic needs of the population.
On top of the damage to other infrastructure, the region’s water supply has been deeply affected by the most recent round of strikes.
According to the Administration, 604 water wells were damaged by the attacks. The region already suffers from the effects of previous attacks, climate change, and Turkish dams that have brought the levels of the Euphrates River to historic lows. This has forced many people to rely on privately-owned trucks with water tanks, which are far more expensive and often unsafe to drink.
The Autonomous Administration has continued to express the dire situation to the international community, and that it is leading to both an exodus of people fleeing the region, and instability that ISIS is able to take advantage of. The Administration has long been pushing for the reopening of the al-Yarubiyah border crossing between Syrian and Iraq to allow more aid into the region and alleviate the suffering of the population.