Flood on the Euphrates Entire areas destroyed - Syria makes serious accusations against Turkey
Severe flooding along the Euphrates has claimed five lives in Syria. Fields are under water and emergency shelters have been destroyed. The Syrian energy minister reproaches Turkey.
03.06.2026, 16:27
03.06.2026, 16:28
dpa
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- Severe flooding on the Euphrates in Syria has displaced thousands of people.
- Vast areas along the river banks were flooded and farmland, government buildings and civilian facilities were damaged.
- The floods were caused by heavy rainfall and large water releases from dams.
- Syria accuses Turkey of having warned too late about the rising water levels.
- The authorities now expect the water levels to fall again within the next two days.
Severe flooding caused by rising water levels in the River Euphrates has displaced hundreds of families in Syria and claimed several lives. According to local officials, four children died in the province of Dair as-Saur after being swept away by the strong currents of the Euphrates. In the neighboring province of Rakka, a man also drowned, according to reports.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, thousands of people were displaced. The observers warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis. The Syrian authorities announced that around 24,000 hectares of farmland, 265 government buildings and around 60 civilian facilities had been damaged in Dair as-Saur.
Turkey's warning came too late
The floods were caused by unusually heavy rainfall in the region in recent weeks and months, including in neighboring Turkey.
Due to extremely high water levels at the dams there, particularly the Atatürk Dam, the Turkish authorities had to release enormous volumes of water downstream in a controlled manner.
In order to prevent their own facilities from being overloaded, the Syrian operators also opened important dams. The water level rose abruptly and flooded large areas along the banks.
Syria's Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir accused Turkey of having warned the Syrian authorities too late about the rising water level in the Euphrates. Meanwhile, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the affected areas to assess the damage and the humanitarian needs, as reported by the state news agency Sana.
Syria expects water levels to drop
Those affected described chaotic conditions as a result of the rapidly rising water. One affected resident told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that some families had only been able to leave their homes with the clothes on their backs.
According to her, neighbors rescued trapped people with small fishing boats through the strong currents.
The general director of the Euphrates Dam, Haitham Bakur, told the German Press Agency that the water levels should recede within two days. Turkey has now closed the sluice gates.
