ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Residents of Syria’s Raqqa province on Saturday described widespread damage to their homes after rising water levels along the Euphrates River triggered severe flooding.
"My house is about 200 meters away from the main road. The water broke through and flooded my home as well as my neighbor's. Our property has been damaged,” Ismail Nashif, a resident of the province, told Rudaw.
Flooding in northern and eastern Syria has displaced thousands of people, with authorities repeatedly warning residents about rising water levels along the Euphrates.
The floods were primarily caused by record-breaking rainfall in upstream Turkey. The heavy rains pushed reservoirs, including the Ataturk Dam, close to maximum capacity, prompting Turkish authorities to release large volumes of water downstream into Syria.
Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said on Friday that around 2,400 families have been affected by the floods.
Raqqa has been among the hardest-hit provinces due to its location along the Euphrates.
Fitem Nashif, another resident affected by the flooding, said that “our homes are completely destroyed. The water rushed in, rising a meter and a half high. Two of my rooms, kitchen, and bathroom are totally gone.”
On Sunday, Syrian state media, citing water resources authorities in Raqqa, reported that water levels in the province had dropped by 60 centimeters after a spillway was closed and inflows from Turkey were reduced.
The report added that Turkey lowered water discharge into the Euphrates from 2,000 to 1,500 cubic meters per second.
Emergency response teams continue efforts to mitigate the impact of the flooding by reinforcing embankments, issuing evacuation warnings, and assisting residents in affected areas.
Vivyan Fattah contributed to this report.