Ramallah - Saba:
The Quds Water Authority announced on Monday that pumping from the wells and water stations in the Ein Samia area, east of Kafr Malik, has completely halted. This comes as a result of escalating settler attacks on vital facilities and installations there.
The Authority confirmed in a statement that its crews had lost technical and administrative control over the entire water system in Ein Samia due to a series of attacks that directly targeted electricity networks, pumping equipment, communications systems, and surveillance cameras.
This led to a complete shutdown of operations and the disruption of pumping to dozens of Palestinian villages and towns in the northern and eastern Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate.
It noted that the area continues to experience interruptions in internet services and communications lines, making it difficult to access or restore stations and to provide the necessary protection for field crews.
The Quds Water Utility called on all official and human rights bodies, both local and international, to intervene immediately and urgently to halt these dangerous attacks. It called for international protection of Palestinian water resources and the application of real pressure to halt the systematic sabotage of its facilities and primary water sources.
It warned that the continuation of the current situation will cause a humanitarian disaster threatening more than 70,000 citizens by depriving them of their basic right to water.
Yesterday, Sunday, settlers renewed their attacks on water stations and wells in the Ein Samia area, east of Kafr Malik, northeast of Ramallah. They destroyed surveillance cameras and tampered with vital equipment.
Ein Samia is one of the most important groundwater sources in the northeast Ramallah area and contains five working water wells, ranging in depth from 100 to 500 meters.
The total production capacity of Ein Samia wells is estimated at approximately 12,000 cubic meters per day, representing 17% of the daily quantities supplied by the Quds Water Utility.
The Ein Samia wells directly supply 19 communities: Deir Dibwan, Burqa, Beitin, Ein Yabrud, Kafr Malik, Taybeh, Rammun, Deir Jarir, Silwad, Mazra'a Sharqiya, Abu Falah, Al-Mughayyir, Turmus Ayya, Sinjil, Jaljalia, Abwein, Aroura, and Mazra'a al-Nubani.
The Ein Samia wells also supply 14 communities through the Ramallah plant: Dura al-Qar', Jalazoun Refugee Camp, Jifna, Ein Siniya, Birzeit, Birzeit University, Abu Qash, Atara, Deir Sudan, Ajul, Jibiya, Barham, Kobar, Abu Shkheidam, and Mazra'a al-Qibliya.
The total number of people benefiting from the Ein Samia wells, either fully or partially, is approximately 110,000.
| more of (International) |