SYRIA Syria, oil smuggling poisons the Euphrates River

Oil trafficking in the northeast, between Kurds and the Syrian Democratic Forces, has caused a very serious health and environmental emergency. Medical sources report consequences in the elderly, children and chronically ill. The only interest of the traffickers is “to obtain greater profits”, regardless of the harm to the local population.

Damascus () – The inhabitants of northeastern Syria, the region bordering the Euphrates River, denounce the dramatic consequences of water pollution. The emergency has been caused by oil spills that occur during oil smuggling operations between the areas controlled by the Kurds and those under the government of Damascus. Local sources report that traces of oil can be seen on the shore, with a higher concentration in areas patrolled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The Euphrates, the longest river in West Asia that was the main source of drinking water for several Syrian provinces, is suffering from an ecological catastrophe due to the increasing level of pollutants. The river runs 610 kilometers from the city of Yarábulus on the border with Turkey, passing through Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, and finally through al-Bukamal, to then continue through Iraqi territory.

According to experts, the causes of its deterioration are multiple, from the instability in northeastern Syria, whose control is disputed by several armed organizations -and under the constant threat of invasion by Ankara- to the deterioration of general living conditions. In recent times, traces of oil have appeared on the coast as a result of oil leaks near smuggling points, where the fuel is illegally transported to areas controlled by the Syrian government on the opposite shore. In addition, rebel forces frequently attack oil pipelines, contributing to water pollution that has already killed large numbers of fish and other animals in the region.

A doctor from the eastern suburbs of Deir ez-Zor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told al-Monitor that “the spill of large quantities of petroleum derivatives into the Euphrates directly threatens the lives of the inhabitants, especially those who depend on of the river as the main source of drinking water and for irrigation”. This, he adds, is causing cases of poisoning in the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases, “not to mention the spread of many diseases, such as hepatitis, fever, dysentery , abdominal pain and internal infections”. It is an alarming reality that has led doctors and health experts to recommend that people purify the water before using it. The source adds that, in addition to the contamination of the Euphrates River, the gases derived of the primitive crude oil refining processes pollute the air and spread respiratory and digestive diseases, as well as cancers, premature births, spontaneous abortions and congenital malformations itas.

Mohammed Taha, a resident of Shuhail, says that in many cases the spills of oil and other pollutants are related to the careless behavior of traffickers, whose only interest is “to obtain higher profits” from the sale. “The Syrian Democratic Forces – it continues – could quickly stop the smuggling operations by cutting the oil pipelines that connect the area with the side controlled by the Syrian regime and burning the river ferries used for transport. But they don’t because they are directly involved in trafficking. Fadel Abdul Ghani, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, condemns the “complicity” of the SDF with the smugglers, showing a “total disregard” for the lives of civilians.