The city of Ras al-Ain, located northwest of al-Hasakah governorate, suffers frequent and sudden electricity blackouts, plunging the city into darkness for extended hours.
As winter sets in, the situation worsens, with power cuts in major neighborhoods exceeding 7 hours continuously, under the pretext of “combatting unauthorized power draw.”
Majed al-Bahou, a resident of Ras al-Ain, told Enab Baladi that the random power outages have recently become more frequent, particularly during the past three months, with no clear schedule for the electricity cut offs and restorations.
The arbitrary power cuts forced al-Bahou to borrow $600 to install tubular batteries to enable electricity use in his house, especially during the night.
Salma al-Zaid, also a resident of Ras al-Ain, complained about the frequent outages in the Harb neighborhood by the electricity company, considering it an excuse used by the company to cut power under the guise of combating network violations.
Al-Zaid, lacking the financial means to operate a generator due to the high fuel prices, stated that the price of European or Turkish diesel rose to more than 50 Turkish lira per liter. As a result, in the evenings, she relies on her motorcycle battery to run small LED lamps.
Al-Zaid called for an end to the “collective punishment” policy of the city by the electricity company and proposed cutting the power only to those who are in violation, not everyone.
A neighborhood in Ras al-Ain during a power outage – February 2024 (Enab Baladi)
Shop owners, particularly those in the food sector, are among those most affected by the electricity cuts, according to Aliwi al-Aqoub, a dairy and cheese shop owner in the al-Za’im neighborhood of Ras al-Ain.
Al-Aqoub told Enab Baladi that the continuous, random outages lasting more than seven hours have spoiled many perishable goods, especially the cheeses and dairy that require constant refrigeration.
To avoid further losses, al-Aqoub installed a solar power system for his shop at a cost of about $1,100.
The impact of power cuts in the area is particularly severe on patients who require constant medical device operation to maintain their health.
Mohammed Sofi stated that he relies on continuous nebulization treatments at home for his severe asthma, which he has suffered from for years.
Sofi explained that during power outages, he experiences several choking attacks due to the nebulizer not functioning, worsening his health condition and potentially requiring long-term treatment.
Sofi does not have the financial capacity to purchase batteries and a power inverter costing $500 to run the nebulizer continually.
Thefts threaten electrical stability
An informed source at the AK Energy power company working in Ras al-Ain told Enab Baladi that the main reason for the continuous power outages in the city is due to significant theft incidents in the area, causing considerable losses to the company.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity regarding their name and role, added that the company cuts the power to parts of neighborhoods or streets in the city due to large network violations, especially at night. They added that the company is working in cooperation with government agencies to combat this phenomenon, which will subsequently provide the city with electricity around the clock.
Ak Energy was established in the Turkish state of Kilis and is owned by Syrian Ibrahim Khalil and three Turkish individuals. The company began operations in the countryside around Aleppo on June 1, 2017, and obtained license number “9123455” from the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Turkey.
The company’s first contracts were with the local council in Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad in March 2021, and included the provision of electricity to the city of Ras al-Ain and its countryside, according to a conversation with the former head of the local council in Ras al-Ain, Murai al-Youssef.
The company’s contract with the local council stipulated that the city and the countryside would be powered within only a year; however, the company has failed to fulfill the agreement, as the completion of electric supply to the city of Ras al-Ain took over two years.
One of the main contract terms was to maintain the electrical infrastructure in the city and countryside, but the infrastructure was not replaced and was connected randomly. Consequently, the city continues to suffer from frequent outages due to this.
A neighborhood in Ras al-Ain during a power outage – February 2024 (Enab Baladi)