Syria warns eastern provinces ahead of Euphrates release rise
Shafaq News- Damascus
Syria will raise water releases from the Kediran Dam from 600 to 800 cubic meters per second starting August 15, prompting warnings of higher Euphrates levels and stronger currents in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.
The Energy Ministry said on Friday that inflows entering Syria from Turkiye have exceeded 1,200 cubic meters per second for about 10 consecutive days and are expected to remain elevated through the end of August.
تدعو وزارة الطاقة أهلنا في محافظتَي الرقة ودير الزور إلى الابتعاد عن مجرى نهر الفرات وعدم السباحة فيه ابتداءً من يوم غد #السبت الموافق 15 آب؛ وذلك بسبب الزيادة التدريجية المرتقبة لمنسوب النهر بسبب زيادة الوارد من الجانب التركي.#الجمهورية_العربية_السورية #وزارة_الطاقة pic.twitter.com/e94nBbF1lf
— وزارة الطاقة السورية (@SyrMOfE) August 14, 2026
Residents near the river should avoid its banks, low-lying areas, swimming and fast-moving water, and move nearby agricultural equipment and property to higher ground, the Emergency and Disaster Management Ministry cautioned.
In May, severe Euphrates flooding hit Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, affecting more than 27,000 people, displacing thousands and damaging over 60 water stations, irrigation networks and transport routes, according to UNFPA. Higher flows also raised concerns downstream in Iraq, where water was expected to enter through Al-Qaim before reaching Haditha (Al-Qadisiyah) Dam.
