Rising Euphrates Levels Isolate Deir ez-Zor as Temporary Crossings Collapse

The rising water levels of the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor continue to cause material damage and disrupt movement, while technical authorities confirm that the main dams remain structurally safe and do not face construction risks.

Local data indicate that Turkey opened the gates of the Atatürk Dam with a flow rate estimated at around 2,000 cubic meters per second, a figure significantly higher than the usual flow rates in previous years. This caused a rapid increase in water levels reaching Syrian territories.

For Deir ez-Zor residents, the water rise is no longer a seasonal event but has escalated within days into a humanitarian and living crisis, revealing the fragility of the province’s infrastructure after the collapse of temporary crossings and the halt of transit between the city’s two banks.

As water volumes from the Euphrates increased, an earthen bridge and a military bridge, both built in recent years as emergency alternatives to destroyed bridges, collapsed. This resulted in isolating the "Al-Shamiya" and "Al-Jazeera" districts. Subsequently, ferry and boat operations stopped due to high waves and the dangers of river navigation.

Despite assurances from relevant authorities that the Tishrin, Tabqa, and Mansoura dams remain within safe technical limits, the crisis has reignited the issue of destroyed bridges in eastern Syria, which have yet to undergo comprehensive rehabilitation despite their vital importance to the population.

Residents now face a daily complicated reality caused by the crossing crisis. A Deir ez-Zor resident near one of the collapsed bridges said, "The city has become divided into two parts. We cannot cross from Al-Shamiya to Al-Jazeera, and even the ferries have stopped because the situation is dangerous. The nearest usable bridge is more than 60 kilometers away, which is a tiring distance for people, especially for patients and students."

Another resident added, "We feel that Deir ez-Zor is always left at the bottom of priorities. The existing bridges are temporary and unsafe, and they collapse immediately with any rise in water levels. People want real solutions, not temporary patches."

In another testimony, a local expressed his hardship after the crossings stopped, stating, "If someone has a patient who needs a hospital on the other side, how will they cross? This is not a one- or two-day crisis; it has been an ongoing problem for years."

Local information shows that most Euphrates bridges in Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa were destroyed during military operations in 2017. Subsequent repair work was limited to temporary emergency measures, such as using earthen embankments or creating alternative crossings that have not withstood the current water pressure.

On the humanitarian front, the number of drowning victims linked to the rising river levels has reached seven people, including six children, amid repeated warnings against approaching the Euphrates riverbed or swimming during this period.

As the crisis persists, residents are increasingly demanding urgent projects to rebuild the Euphrates bridges and rehabilitate the province’s infrastructure, considering it a priority that affects daily life, mobility, and essential services for hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the river.