A/HRC/34/64 45. On 31 July, intensified clashes damaged the electricity transmission station that facilitated power for pumping water to both eastern and western Aleppo city. Even though technicians were able to install a tributary power line on 4 August, the line sustained damage the next day. By 9 August and during a period of intense heat, approximately 1.7 million people throughout Aleppo city were left without access to running water. 46. On 22 September, one or more air strikes carried out by either the Syrian or the Russian air force hit the water substation in the Bab al-Nayrab district of eastern Aleppo city, rendering it out of service and leaving up to 200,000 civilians without potable water. Owing to the intensity of clashes in the area at the time, it is not possible to determine whether the attack was intentional. Though the station was repaired by local authorities on 30 September and resumed service shortly thereafter, civilians in eastern Aleppo recalled having to resort to highly contaminated well water for domestic use. While the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) provided purification tablets to sterilize contaminated water obtained from boreholes, the Government’s total blockade of aid delivery after July made such tablets scarce. Moreover, fuel intended to be used for heating in November and December was instead used to pump water from wells. 47. On 23 September, the Suleiman al-Halabi pumping station located in the east was switched off, preventing water from reaching 1.5 million people in the western neighbourhoods of Aleppo city. On 26 September, the Directorate of Water and Sewage in eastern Aleppo released a statement denying its involvement in what it deemed an “electrical dysfunction”. During that time, however, civilians in western Aleppo were, able to benefit from ground water wells, which provided a safe, temporary alternative water source. 5. Schools 48. During the period under review, air strikes carried out by Syrian and Russian forces had a disparate impact on educational institutions throughout eastern Aleppo city, where a third of the population were children (see annex I, paras. 13-15). Schools may only be the object of attack when used for military purposes, and such attacks require prior warning when the school is located in a densely populated civilian area (ibid., para. 22). 49. On 19 August, at approximately 5 p.m., in Salah al-Din district, Syrian or Russian air strikes hit the Abdulqader Shasho school and an attached mosque. The Salah al-Din district was an active frontline at the time, with approximately half of the district under armed group control and the other half under Government control. While the Abdulqader Shasho school was not in session at the time, four adults were wounded during the attack. The ceiling of the school sustained partial damage, while the mosque was razed. The school remained operational for a short period thereafter, with students transferred to underground classrooms. By September, the school was relocated within Salah al-Din for the safety of students. 50. In early September, the relocated Abdulqader Shasho school was hit by an air strike. At the time, classes were held for grades 1 to 9, with younger pupils attending morning classes. Nine elementary school children were killed during the attack, and dozens more wounded. C. Use of prohibited weapons 51. From September onwards, the number of incidents involving prohibited weapons rose to new levels, with allegations of the use of chlorine, cluster munitions and incendiary munitions the most widely reported. Coinciding with bombardments of hospitals, the 11