Euphrates water pollution threatens lives: Syria’s Raqqa Health Committee
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, co-chair of the Health Committee in Raqqa Zeina al-Hassan warned of the danger of contamination of the water of the Euphrates River due to its low level and its threat to the public health of the population in Raqqa.
Since February, the Turkish government has continued to seize the flow of water of the Euphrates River towards the Syrian and Iraqi territories, amid regional and global warnings of a health and agricultural disaster in the region.
Al-Hassan told North Press that the drinking water shortage and its contamination with bacteria due to the low level of the river will negatively affect the health of the population, especially the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases.
The edges of the Euphrates have turned into swamps as a result of receding water, which constitutes a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes and sand flies.
Consequently, this will lead to the emergence of leishmaniasis in the coming period, she added.
The co-chair of the Health Committee in Raqqa indicated that the “inhumane” action that Turkey is taking is seriously threatening life in all its aspects in the regions of northeast Syria.
The city of Raqqa, and all the cities and towns of the Euphrates Basin in Syria, depend on the river’s water for drinking via pumps installed directly on the Euphrates River.
Turkey has continued to violate an agreement signed between it and the Syrian government in 1987, which stipulates a steady flow of the Euphrates River in the amount of 500 cubic meters per second, which has decreased to 200 cubic meters per second now.