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Syrian Farmers Devastated by Euphrates Floods Linked to Turkish Water Releases
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Disasters & Emergencies

Syrian Farmers Devastated by Euphrates Floods Linked to Turkish Water Releases

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Heavy rainfall and increased water flows from Turkey have caused severe flooding along the Euphrates River in eastern Syria.
  • The floods have damaged wheat crops, submerged farmland and homes, destroyed bridges, and disrupted water pumping stations.
  • Syrian authorities and affected farmers are calling for compensation and assistance, with farmers expressing distress over lost income and the late warning of rising water levels.

Farmers in eastern Syria face devastating losses after severe flooding along the Euphrates River, exacerbated by heavy rainfall and increased water flows originating from Turkey. Issa al-Moussa, a farmer from the Deir Ezzor province, described his six dunams of wheat land as lost, costing him one million Syrian liras per dunam. With his primary source of income destroyed, Moussa expressed deep concern about feeding his family.

I ploughed my land, which is six dunams (6,000 square meters) in size, and each dunam cost me one million liras ($75)... This land is lost.

— Issa al-MoussaA farmer describing the financial and personal impact of the floodwaters on his farmland.

The floods have inundated vast agricultural areas and homes, rendering bridges and crossings unusable and disrupting essential drinking water and irrigation pumping stations. Syrian authorities have described the rise in water levels as "exceptional." The energy ministry attributed the floods to a "significant and unprecedented increase in water flows from the Turkish side." Farmers reported that approximately 5,000 dunams of land in Deir Ezzor and 1,500 dunams in Raqa province were flooded.

No one knows when this water will dry up. Compensate us, assist the farmers, raise the prices of wheat and cotton for us, and support us with fertilizer, medicines and fuel.

— Issa al-MoussaA farmer demanding government assistance and compensation following the flood damage.

Farmers like Moussa are demanding government compensation, aid, and support, including increased prices for wheat and cotton, and provisions of fertilizer, medicine, and fuel. They also claim they were not adequately warned about the rising water levels, with Moussa stating, "We were not informed that dams would open... our lands are gone." Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir noted that Turkey's warning about the rising water levels came too late. While Turkish media cited official sources mentioning "controlled water releases" from the Ataturk Dam due to heavy rainfall, no official statement from Turkey regarding coordination with Damascus has been issued.

We were not informed that dams would open... our lands are gone.

— Issa al-MoussaA farmer expressing frustration over the lack of timely warnings about the rising water levels.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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