DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – For thousands of residents in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor governorate, the Euphrates River has shifted from a historic lifeline to a dividing line between two opposing zones of control — the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the north bank and the Syrian government on the south.
Geographic Divide and Human Impact
With bridges destroyed or rendered inoperable by years of conflict, small wooden ferries known locally as “abbarat” have become the only means for farmers, patients, and students to cross. The crossings, however, are costly, risky, and subject to abrupt closure.
Abu Ahmed, 40, from eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, told North Press his livelihood depends on reaching farmland on the government-controlled bank. “Every morning I pay about a quarter of my daily income to cross at al-Salhiyah if it’s open. If closed, I’m forced to cross secretly at night. Once, a government patrol arrested me and I spent a week in jail, accused of cooperating with the SDF simply for coming from the other side,” he said.
He added, “We are one community. We have nothing to do with political or military disputes. We only want to live in peace and see the bridges rebuilt so we can cross safely at any time.”
Um Nour al-Din, 55, sat waiting near the riverbank for an informal crossing to reach a hospital on the southern bank for her child’s medicine. “I wake before dawn and pray the ferries are running. More than half my salary goes to an unsafe crossing, while both sides accuse the boat owner of spying. Water can drown us and fear can kill us, but I must get my son’s medicine,” she said.
Lifeline and official silence
Local activist Ibrahim al-Saleh described the ferries as “a lifeline and a measure of stability” in the absence of bridges. He told North Press that repeated closures of official crossings “deny patients treatment, deprive children of education, and separate families,” calling on authorities to make the river crossings safe, consistent, and free from political bargaining.
Who is responsible?
A Syrian government official, speaking anonymously, said closures sometimes stem from Damascus due to security threats, and at other times from the SDF to prevent weapons smuggling. He acknowledged poor coordination between the sides, saying, “We try to allow urgent humanitarian cases, but trust is absent, and every permit becomes a political tool.”
Residents across the river continue to call for permanent crossings and the restoration of bridges to end daily hardship and reduce the exploitation of those dependent on the ferries.