CAIRO - Ibrahim al Hamadi, a farmer in the largely Kurdish region of Kobani, tries to plow his parched field in northern Syria as water levels on the nearby Euphrates river appear to be at historic low levels.
The river's water levels in northern Syria have fallen dramatically in recent weeks as Kurdish officials there accuse Turkey of reducing the volume of water flowing downstream. Turkish officials have not commented on the accusations but say Turkey, too, is experiencing water shortages. At the same time farmers are voicing concerns about a situation that some analysts say could further destabilize the region.
Hamadi says he needs to work his fields or he will die of starvation, but water levels continue to drop. He says that areas of dry land that have appeared were once part of the river until water levels started to drop in February, leaving white silt and mud flats in some places.
Abdallah, a middle-aged farmer from Hasakah, told Arab media Turkey is responsible for drying up the Euphrates.
He says that water affects man, agriculture and nearly everything. The U.N., human rights groups, and the whole world, he says, need to bring the water back, because water is life for man.
Turkish officials told Arab media that Ankara is experiencing serious water shortages, as well. Turkey in the past has temporarily reduced the river’s flow during times of drought.
Iraq's water minister, Mehdi al Hamadani, recently told a conference in Baghdad the water crisis is affecting Syria, Iraq and other countries in the region to the point of damaging both the land and the environment.
He said that the areas around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have witnessed serious droughts in recent years, increasing evaporation and major environmental issues in Iraq and its neighbors.
Hamed al Hamadi, an engineer at Syria's Tishrin Dam along the Euphrates near Aleppo, complains about the falling levels of water on Lake Assad, downstream.