Power Cuts Add to Heatwave Woes

An article in the official Al-Thawra newspaper said on September 2 that the continual power cuts in Syria are unacceptable and the public deserves to know the true reasons for the situation.



Many cities and regions continue to experience power cuts, which the newspaper said was partly because electricity was being rationed and partly because the infrastructure was in such a poor state of repair.



For the first time, the government has started to cut power on Fridays.



An official at the electricity ministry, Nasoh Semsmiah, blamed the blackouts on oil shortages and Egypt’s failure to deliver enough oil.



Semsmiah asserted that his ministry was not to blame.



The pro-government website Syria News noted that the power went off for more than an hour across Damascus on the morning of August 31.



Syria has been experiencing one of its hottest summers on record, with temperatures regularly soaring to 40 degrees Celsius. The unusually high temperatures have raised demand for electricity to run air-conditioning.