Euphrates flooding displaces thousands in Syria's Deir Ezzor
More than 2,400 families in eastern Syria's Deir Ezzor province have been affected by severe flooding after water levels in the Euphrates River rose sharply, inundating villages, damaging farmland and disrupting access to essential services across the region.
The flooding, which Syria's Ministry of Energy said was caused by “the abundance of the current rainy season and the opening of floodgates at dams located along the river in Turkish territory”, has hit Deir Ezzor and neighbouring Raqqa hardest since the surge began on 26 May.
Describing the rise in flows from across the border as “unprecedented,” the ministry confirmed it had opened three spillway gates at Syria’s Euphrates Dam for the first time in more than 30 years to relieve pressure on the structure.
By Friday, the ministry announced that efforts by the Syrian leadership with its Turkish side had “resulted in the start of reducing the quantities of water coming into Syrian territory via the Euphrates river.”
In a video posted on X, Mohammad al-Bashir, the Minister of Energy, said that “water levels along the Euphrates River are gradually improving following technical measures taken at the dam”, adding that authorities will continue monitoring conditions until levels return to normal.
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In the early hours of the flooding, three children died after swimming in the Euphrates despite repeated warnings by Syria’s Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh.
The rising waters also forced dozens of families from their homes and left several villages partially isolated after roads and river crossings were damaged.
Emergency teams have been deployed to reinforce riverbanks, evacuate residents from vulnerable locations and assess damage to public infrastructure.
Al-Saleh also announced on Friday that water levels have returned to normal and no new flooding has been reported.
On Friday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the province of Deir Ezzor, accompanied by a ministerial delegation, to assess the situation and humanitarian conditions of those affected communities.
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