This post is also available in:
العربية
Amid the ongoing power cut the province of Deir Ezzor is facing and the drastic increase in temperature during this summer, the ice making plants in the province have become the only alternative providing civilians with cold water, covering the need of around 80 percent of the population in the region.
Despite the fact that many of these ice making plants are found in most of the areas in Deir Ezzor, only few civilians can obtain cold water, as they cannot afford to buy the icy blocks costing around 500 Liras, in light of a high-sky increase in the rate of unemployment and the collapse of agriculture and commerce due to the strict, extreme rules issued by Daesh in Deir Ezzor.
“The ice making plants in the western countryside are concentrated in the towns of Al-Shumaytiya and Kharita, which consist of eight plants; two of which produce 139 ice blocks for every eight hours,” D24 correspondent in Deir Ezzo’s western countryside has said.
He added, “Regarding the sixth remaining plants, they have the capacity to produce 3 tons of ice, with 83 ice blocks every eight hours. The price of an ice block in the western countryside is 500 Liras.”
Kharita and Shumaytiya are always over crowded with civilians coming from other villages, which do not have ice-making plants, who regularly queue for hours to purchase cold water. These plants have been facing a power cut, coinciding with a shortage of fuel and an increase in their prices, if available, pushing their operators to resort to electric engines instead, which has automatically boosted the price of ice blocks.
As power cuts issues rarely appear in Daesh-held neighborhoods of Deir Ezzor, civilians can easily have cold water contrary to other areas in the province.
In Assad-regime held neighborhoods of Deir Ezzor, which are besieged by Daesh, there is an extreme shortage of ice due to the lack of fuel and power cut issues. The only ice making plant is located on the highway Deir Ezzor-Damascus, which is a bit distant from the besieged city. Cold water in the besieged areas is sold by the shops whose owners possess engines, with a price mounting to 75 Liras sometimes, depending on the available amount of fuel at disposal.
In Al-Bukamal, Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside, the majority of the ice making plants, which are seven in total, have been out of service due to the lack of fuel and electricity, D24 correspondent in the eastern countryside has indicated.
He continued, “However, The ice factories have returned to function as they are currently being funded and operated by Daesh in an attempt to cover the needs of civilians in the city. The plants have done fine in the city and its countryside so far.”
Three other factories are located in the city of Al-Myadeen, two of which can be operated decently, making it possible to cover the needs of civilians in the city and other neighboring villages and towns, which do not consist of ice plants such as Al-Shaheel, whose inhabitants are dependent on vehicles to transport cold water to their town.
