Syria Cuts Euphrates Discharge After Flooding Recedes in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor

Flooding along the Euphrates River in eastern Syria began receding on Sunday after authorities said the crisis had affected thousands of people across Raqqa and Deir Ezzor governorates.

“play videoplay video Video Duration 01 minutes 05 seconds play-arrow01:05 Rescue workers have pulled stranded farmers from flood waters in eastern Syria after the Euphrates burst its banks”

Al Jazeera

In Deir Ezzor province, the local Emergency Response Committee said water levels on the western side were expected to remain stable through Sunday, with floodwaters likely to begin receding later in the day.

Al Jazeera

Authorities managing the Kadiran Dam in northern Syria reduced water discharge into the Euphrates to approximately 1,500 cubic meters per second, down from 2,000 cubic meters per second, as upstream inflows from Turkey declined.

The National reported that Syria’s Sana said its level in Raqqa dropped by 60cm overnight, while an irrigation official said water discharge from the main Tabaqa dam and a nearby auxiliary dam has dropped, “meaning that the flooding will be going down over the next several days”.

Syrian authorities also said they urged residents in affected areas to strictly follow official safety guidance and called on emergency agencies to maintain a high level of preparedness.

Syrian officials said the rise in water levels was linked to heavy seasonal rainfall and the opening of floodgates at dams in Turkish territory, and the Ministry of Energy characterized the inflow as “unprecedented”.

The Media Line said the flooding began on May 26 and that the crisis had claimed the lives of four children, while numerous drowning incidents were reported.

Al-Jazeera Net

In response to the pressure on the Euphrates Dam, Syrian authorities opened three spillway gates, the first such move in more than 30 years, and by Friday contacts between Syrian and Turkish officials had “resulted in the start of reducing the quantities of water coming into Syrian territory via the Euphrates river.”

Euronews reported that Ahmed al-Sharaa declared a field alert in Deir ez-Zor Governorate on Friday as floods widened, and it said Civil Defense teams and heavy machinery were dispatched to areas along the riverbank, especially around the city of Deir ez-Zor.

Euronews also described fears of seepage into low-lying residential neighborhoods as water reached areas near the corniche and the main road, and it said the Emergency and Disaster Management Committee announced immediate evacuation of the Hawija Saqar and Hawija Qata regions.

As the flood pushed into the eastern provinces, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the Euphrates River flood forced Syria’s government into a swift push toward the eastern provinces to contain rising water levels and narrow the gap between residents there and the central administration in Damascus.

“- In Deir Ezzor province, the local Emergency Response Committee reported that water levels on the western side were expected to remain stable through Sunday, with floodwaters likely to begin receding later in the day DEIR EZZOR: Authorities managing the Kadiran Dam in northern Syria have reduced water discharge into the Euphrates River as flood risks ease following a decline in upstream inflows from Turkey, officials announced on Sunday”

Arab News

President Ahmed al-Sharaa, meeting Deir Ezzor elders during a Friday visit to assess flood damage, told residents: “You are people of generosity and noble tribes and clans.”

Asharq Al-Awsat said participants raised issues beyond services and flood response, including the fate of detainees held in prisons run by the Syrian Democratic Forces and later transferred to Iraq, and it also said some attendees demanded that their fate be revealed and that they be returned to Syria to stand trial there.

The Media Line reported that more than 62 water stations have been put out of operation, raising concerns that over 50% of Deir ez-Zor’s population could lose access to water if the situation persists.

In Deir ez-Zor Governorate, Al Jazeera Net said satellite imagery showed the flooded area widened to include agricultural lands and lands adjacent to the Euphrates, and it reported that Spillway Gate No. 4 was closed, reducing water discharge to about 1,400 cubic meters per second as the situation underwent “gradual improvement”.