Guest Post: Qalb Lawze and Water Scarcity

Editor and translator’s introduction [Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi]: In the Jabal al-Summaq region of northern Idlib countryside, home to a number of originally Druze villages, water scarcity has been a particular problem in the villages located higher up the mountain. In this guest post, Issam Ibrahim (Abu Tayyim) of Qalb Lawze writes on the latest developments regarding water projects in the area.

Qalb Lawze also again at the heart of the events in Jabal al-Summaq.

The Jabal al-Summaq area is a mountainous area rising at the highest point on it to 850 m above sea level.

And it is a rugged mountainous area in which life is difficult and among the most important problems from which it suffers through its history is securing water.

And we notice through the remains that are in it that the Romans relied on ground storages in the rocks in which the water of rainfall gathers and the lands in the area are unirrigated i.e. they rely on the rain only, and from this comes the agriculture of wheat and olives.

And the region has continued to suffer from securing water in the summer as its people rely on transportation of tankers from Harem, Kafr Takharim and Qourqaniya. This does not suffice for them especially with the increase in cases of displacement to this mountain after the Syrian war and the increase in the number of inhabitants in each village by multiples, thus has the demand for water increased, and the general situation for the inhabitants is extreme poverty except for a small few of them who were migrating to Aleppo and Damascus to work.

There was a project to bring water from Harem to Qalb Lawze via water pumps and stations but regrettably with the beginning of the Syrian revolution these stations went out of service as they need electricity and there is no one who can operate them and the cost of their repair is around 350,000 dollars, and the pumping of water to the mountain came to a stop.

And after that the people resorted to digging a well with multiple attempts in Taltita, Kukku and Kafr Kayla, but regrettably the water did not come out because of the strong elevation in the mountain.

Now and with the beginning of 2022 the people in the village of Qalb Lawze- in cooperation with the villages of Banabel and Kafr Kayla and some of those living in these villages- have gathered a simple sum to help them to dig a new well in an area lower than the village in the direction of the village of Hattan. And there is a building for a previous water station here at an elevation of 550 m.

And after the topographic survey, it became clear that there is water at an elevation of 600 m. So we have put reliance on God and we have begun digging in this area.

Perhaps God will provide us with water, and perhaps it should be a merciful watering for the people.

And we hope to be supported and helped in securing a portion of the sum because the project will cost around 25,000 dollars for the cost of digging only.

And after the water comes out, perhaps an NGO that works on operating the well can secure it for us.

We thank the efforts of all who participate in this matter.

And may God reward you best.

Issam Ibrahim (Abu Tayyim)
The medical official in Jabal al-Summaq.