Aleppo is in a state of war and is facing a humanitarian disaster. This is what editor of Aleppo’s Gandzasar Weekly Zarmig Boghigian said in an interview with “Azatutyun”. According to him, the soldiers rebelling against President of Syria Bashar al-Assad have seized the city’s major water supplying company and have deprived citizens of water.

“Citizens of Aleppo haven’t been supplied with water for the past three weeks,” says a Syrian-Armenian journalist, adding that water supply was restored for only a couple of days following negotiations between government officials and rebellious soldiers, but the faucets were turned off again after a short while.

Boghigian said the situation in the water-deprived Aleppo was “disastrous” and added that the situation has become even more intolerable due to the heat.

“They gave us water for a couple of days. The government is trying to cooperate with the rebels. It will give them fuel in exchange of water. Citizens of Aleppo have to buy water from companies bringing water from different settlements. At home, they use the water from wells dug at the initiative of the government,” says Zarmig, mentioning that even though there is no epidemic, there is a danger of one.

For the past four years, the Syrian government has always negotiated with the rebels to help restore water in the war-devastated Aleppo. According to the editor of Gandzasar Weekly, parallel to the negotiations with the rebels and the digging of new wells, the government also plans on presenting the issue of drinking water supply as a topic for discussion in parliament. “Many people can’t stand this situation and are leaving the city if they have the chance. They can’t stand living like this anymore, and now we have to buy water. It’s extremely hot in Aleppo, and it’s very difficult to live in these conditions. Aleppo is truly facing a humanitarian disaster,” says Zarmig Boghigian.

Besides the water issue, Aleppo has been facing the problem with electricity for a long time. According to the Syrian-Armenian journalist, the armed clashes have caused harm to the city’s power system. The authorities are currently working on renovating the power lines.

In an interview with “Azatutyun”, Chief of Staff of the RA Ministry of Diaspora, head of the task force in charge of Syrian-Armenians’ issues Firdus Zakaryan reported that 500 Syrian-Armenians had moved to Armenia over the past two months. The road to Lebanon used to be under the control of the rebels, but it’s more or less safe now. Those wishing to leave Aleppo reach Lebanon via that road and later move to Yerevan via plane,” says Zakaryan.