Shafaq News – Basra

Basra residents voiced outrage on Friday after authorities shut down the al-Suwaib canal, a major water source recently restored by the local government.

Resident Sadiq al-Mansouri told Shafaq News the move "threatened social stability," calling on Governor Asaad al-Eidani to step in. Another local likened the cut to tactics once used by the ISIS group, warning it could "ignite tribal conflict."

District Chief Mohammed Issa Abdulwahid said the closure followed the Governor’s directives after finding the canal was receiving more than its share, depriving surrounding villages. "The canal will remain closed for six days to test salinity levels in the Shatt al-Arab and channel fresh water from al-Qurna toward al-Deir, al-Shafi, and al-Mustafa."

Basra has faced years of severe water shortages, with rising salinity and pollution leaving supplies unsafe for drinking and, in some areas, even household use.