Shafaq News- Deir ez-Zor
Water levels in the Euphrates River have risen by nearly three meters following flooding along the river in eastern Syria, with horizontal expansion reaching around 50 meters in some areas, the Syrian General Company for Drinking Water and Sanitation in Deir ez-Zor announced on Thursday.
Syria’s state news agency SANA cited Assistant Energy Minister for Water Resources Osama Abu Zeid warning that rising water levels and the increasing flow of the Euphrates River could lead to flash floods and dangerous currents threatening lives and property, particularly in areas near the riverbanks, river islands, and locations used for recreation, grazing, and agriculture.
The agency reported the arrival of a humanitarian aid convoy consisting of 11 trucks dispatched by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, carrying relief supplies for families affected by rising water levels in the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor, after many residents were forced to leave their homes for safer areas.
وصول قافلة مساعدات إنسانية تضم 11 شاحنة سيرتها منظمة الهلال الأحمر العربي السوري، تحمل مواد إغاثية للعائلات المتضررة جراء ارتفاع منسوب نهر الفرات في دير الزور، واضطرار الكثير منهم لترك بيوتهم إلى أماكن أكثر أماناً.مدير إدارة الكوارث والعمليات في المنظمة طارق الأشرف:القافلة… pic.twitter.com/DiJP9lkbdG
— الوكالة العربية السورية للأنباء - سانا (@Sana__gov) May 28, 2026
Local Syrian sources reported the drowning of three children, damage to temporary earthen bridges, and the evacuation of a large number of homes.
Since Sunday night into Monday, Syrian ministries and emergency authorities have mobilized to address the impact of the flooding after Turkiye began releasing around 2,400 cubic meters of water per second into Syria near the city of Jarabulus. Until the previous winter season, the flow had not exceeded 300 cubic meters per second.
The recent rise in water levels damaged small residential clusters and agricultural lands established within the riverbed, according to local sources. All temporary earthen bridges connecting the two banks of the Euphrates inside Deir ez-Zor city were also damaged, cutting off the al-Jazeera area on the eastern bank from the al-Shamiya area on the western side.
Emergency and disaster management authorities in Deir ez-Zor warned residents to immediately evacuate the areas of Huwaijat Saqr and Kataa inside the city.
All temporary earthen crossings between the two sides of the river inside the city became unusable because of the flooding, isolating eastern neighborhoods from western districts.
Local sources said the permanent bridges connecting the two banks had already been destroyed years earlier, including al-Siyasiya Bridge, which was hit during coalition operations against ISIS, and the Suspension Bridge, which was damaged by forces of the former Syrian government. After the fall of the government, a temporary earthen bridge was installed, but it was swept away by the flooding.
The sources added that damage was largely limited to private homes, restaurants, and tourist facilities built illegally within the riverbed through encroachments dating back more than 20 years.