Nationwide Power Outage Hits Syria Due to Grid Malfunctions

Syria experienced a nationwide power outage on Tuesday night, April 1, due to malfunctions at multiple points within the national grid. According to a spokesperson from the energy ministry, technical teams are currently working to resolve the issues. Syria has been facing severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available for only a few hours daily in most regions. Damage to the grid infrastructure is a significant factor contributing to these shortages. Damascus previously relied on Iran for the majority of its oil used for power generation. However, these supplies were cut off following the ouster of Tehran-allied former president Bashar al-Assad in December. The current government aims to increase power supply through imports from Jordan and the use of floating power barges. Damascus also anticipates receiving electricity-generating ships from Turkey and Qatar to further augment energy supplies.