Syria’s Raqqa tribes warn of disaster due to Euphrates
RAQQA, Syria (North Press)-On Tuesday, the sheikhs and notables of the Raqqa tribes said that the residents of northeast Syria are on the verge of a disaster that encompasses all aspects of life due to the scarcity of the Euphrates River.
International and local condemnations of Turkey, which has been reducing the level of flow of the Euphrates River since last February, continue.
In a statement, the sheikhs and notables of the Raqqa tribes denounced Turkey’s use of the water of the Euphrates River as a weapon against the northeastern regions of Syria, which depend on the river’s water for drinking and irrigating crops.
The statement indicated that the lack of water from the river has negatively affected the livelihood of the population, not only in Syria, but also in the Iraqi regions adjacent to the Euphrates River.
The statement called on the Turkish government to reconsider the policy of thirst and starvation it is practicing against the Syrian people, who already suffer from poor economic and social conditions.
The statement of the tribal leaders called on the governments of Syria and Iraq and the United Nations to pressure Turkey to release the Euphrates River water in accordance with the relevant treaties, to exclude the people from Turkish violations, and to fully commit to the fair distribution of water wealth.
Zeina al-Hassan, co-chair of the Health Committee in Raqqa, warned in a statement to North Press on Monday of the danger of contamination of the Euphrates water due to its low level and its threat to the public health of the population in Raqqa.