Crimea: Occupying Power to Buy Private Water Wells Forcibly

The situation with the water supply in the Crimea gets worse every day. Because of this, the head of the occupying power, Sergey Aksyonov, gave the instructions to buy water sources forcibly from private owners on the annexed peninsula, if they refuse to “let the access to them.”

“The water is a strategic raw material. If there is any misunderstanding here with owners, connect the Prosecutor and make the decision. Water is a common thing. It is for everyone and is not someone’s property. There will be no well that does not let people supply the water, especially during the emergency. Where they refuse, make an administrative decision on a buyout. It will not be otherwise, colleagues. Today, everyone suffers a water shortage,” Russian media quoted Aksyonov.

At the same time, one noted that the third and most severe stage of restrictions on water supply started in Simferopol and 39 settlements in Simferopol and Bakhchisaray areas on 7 September due to drought and shallowing of Ayansky, Partizansky and Simferopolsky reservoirs. Drinking water is delivered now by schedule in the morning and evening. The city’s water need of almost 400,000 people is 160,000 cubic meters per day, but just about 100,000 cubic meters are supplied nowadays.

The problems of water supply are fixed in Simferopol, Bakhchisaray and Yalta areas. Over the weekend, the residents filed about a thousand appeals with complaints about violation of water supply schedule or yellow-brown liquid flowing from the water supply.

After Simferopol and Bakhchisaray areas, the ” water disaster” began in northern Crimea, on the southern coast and in some coastal villages in the area of Alushta and Yalta.

Ukrainian government insists that drinking water is sufficient for the civilian population, but much of this resource is in use for the Russian army in the Crimea. Besides, according to the fourth Geneva Convention, a state-occupier is obliged to provide a population with food, medicines and other supplies if the resources of the annexed territory are not sufficient. Even humanitarian aid by third parties does not exempt a state-occupier from these obligations.

To recap, Ukraine has stopped the water supply to the occupied Crimea via the Southern-Crimean channel after the peninsula’s annexation by Russia in 2014. Before that, up to 85% of the Crimea total needs in freshwater was provided via this channel.

Bohdan Marusyak