Published on 5/30/2026
The journey to cross the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria, has turned into a daily test of fear and anxiety, after rising water levels led to the cutting of major roads and paths and a number of bridges out of service, forcing thousands of residents to rely on small boats to move between the two banks of the river amid growing concerns for the safety of children and women.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent from Deir ez-Zor reported scenes that reflect the extent of the suffering caused by the floods, as families are forced daily to make short trips over the flowing river waters, but they are filled with feelings of anticipation and fear of any accident that might turn the crossing trip into a tragedy, especially with the continued rise of water and the damage to the infrastructure that connected the governorate’s areas.
Local residents say that what the Euphrates River is witnessing is unprecedented for many years. Abu Firas – one of the people of the region who has lived through the fluctuations of the river for decades – describes the scene as similar to the “Euphrates tsunami,” stressing that the rising waters have become a direct danger to residents, farms, and livestock alike.
He added that the threat is no longer limited to the banks of the river only, but has extended to large areas of surrounding land, raising growing fears of worsening losses if high water levels continue during the coming period.
On one bank of the river, Abu Mahdi was anxiously awaiting the arrival of his family members, who had to cross the water by boat after the usual roads were disrupted. He says that what exhausts him most is watching his children go through these dangerous journeys every day, considering that the feeling of helplessness and fear for their lives is one of the most difficult things any father can face.
Aerial scenes that documented the affected areas reveal the extent of the damage caused by the floods, as the water submerged large areas and led to the disruption of the main and temporary bridges that were a vital artery for transportation and transporting goods between the governorate’s areas, which increased the difficulty of the residents’ daily life.
Reconnect
In light of the expanding repercussions of the crisis, the issue moved to the top of the priorities of the Syrian authorities, as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Deir ez-Zor, accompanied by a number of ministers and officials, to see on the ground the extent of the damage and the needs of the population, in a visit that included the areas most affected by the rising water levels.
During the tour, Syrian Emergency Minister Raed Al-Saleh confirmed that current indicators suggest the possibility of a decrease in the water level of the Euphrates during the coming period, explaining that the urgent priority is to reconnect the regions of Al-Shamiya and Al-Jazira to facilitate the movement of citizens and restore communication between both sides of the river.
Al-Saleh indicated that the authorities intend to reconstruct the dirt bridge as soon as the water level declines, as a temporary solution until the completion of the “Politics Bridge” project, which the government pledged to implement to provide a more stable and safe crossing for the population.
For his part, Syrian Minister of Health Musab Al-Ali announced that government institutions had raised the level of preparedness to confront the repercussions of the floods, stressing the activation of health emergency plans to deal with the exceptional circumstances imposed by the breakdown of bridges and the difficulty of accessing some areas.
He explained that the various ministries have begun implementing their own plans to respond to the crisis, while the Ministry of Health is working to distribute available resources and capabilities according to the needs of the affected areas, to ensure the continuation of basic services and provide the necessary care to the population.
Despite these government promises, the suffering of the people continues on the banks of the Euphrates, as many are forced to take daily risks to cross the river and secure their basic needs, waiting for practical measures to reopen crossing routes and mitigate the effects of the floods that changed the features of life in Deir ez-Zor, and turned the river, which was a lifeline, into a constant source of concern that accompanies the population on every trip between its banks.
