Some Iraqi Province Defy Govt Orders over Water Management

People cross the Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris, where decreasing water levels this year have raised alarm among residents, near Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP)
People cross the Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris, where decreasing water levels this year have raised alarm among residents, near Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP)
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Some Iraqi Province Defy Govt Orders over Water Management

People cross the Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris, where decreasing water levels this year have raised alarm among residents, near Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP)
People cross the Diyala River, a tributary of the Tigris, where decreasing water levels this year have raised alarm among residents, near Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. (AP)

Governor of Iraq’s Babylon province appeared in a video last month as he ordered the opening of a water gate on the Euphrates River to meet the demand of local farmers.

The move was a blatant act of defiance against the federal government that is responsible for the management of water resources throughout the country.

The Ministry of Water Resources threatened at the time to take “legal measures” against government Ali Allawi al-Dulaimi and demanded that local governments “refrain from meddling” in its affairs.

The worsening water crisis and violations over water shares in Babylon forced Minister of Water Resources Mahdi al-Hamdani to carry out a field visit in the province on Saturday.

In a statement, his ministry said the visit aimed at inspecting the water situation in the area.

The ministry is exerting great efforts to ensure that provinces that are located far away from rivers receive water, it added.

Violations over water shares are becoming a daily occurrence nearly throughout Iraq, with claims that provinces are not receiving enough water. The government has not taken enough measures to deter such practices, which has only encouraged violations.

On Saturday, the General Commission for Groundwater announced that some of its workers were attacked in the Al-Muthanna province.

In a statement, it said the employees were physically assaulted and prevented from completing their work shift. They were forcibly removed from their offices as the local authority in Al-Muthanna did nothing to contain the situation.

Moreover, it revealed that groundwater in the province was being extracted by locals, without official approval from the Water Resources Ministry. This has resulted in a drop in groundwater levels in some regions and the drying up of some lakes.

Drought and water shortages are becoming an increasingly growing problem in Iraq due to lack of rainfall and water violations committed by its neighbors, namely Iran and Turkey.

Rainfall has dropped below average levels for three years in Iraq.

Compounding the problem is the poor management of this complicated file by official authorities.

Battered by decades of conflict that has sapped its infrastructure, Iraq is struggling with droughts, repeated sandstorms, desertification and a drop in some river levels.

The United Nations ranks Iraq as one of the top five countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Since mid-April, it has been battered by 10 sandstorms -- a product of intense drought, soil degradation, high temperatures and low rainfall linked to climate change.

President Barham Salih has warned that tackling climate change "must become a national priority for Iraq as it is an existential threat to the future of our generations to come".

Salih said desertification affects 39 percent of Iraq, where water supplies are also dwindling drastically and crop yields are declining.

But efforts to address such issues appear to have been shelved, as Iraq grapples with political deadlock that has left it without a new government after polls last October.

The World Bank has warned that unless solutions are found, Iraq could lose 20 percent of its water resources by 2050 due to climate change.



Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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Sudan’s Paramilitary Unleashes Drones on Key Targets in Port Sudan

Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Smoke billows after a drone strike on the port of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Sudan’s paramilitary unleashed drones on the Red Sea city of Port Sudan early Tuesday, hitting key targets there, including the airport, the port and a hotel, military officials said. The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan's two-year war.

There was no immediate word on casualties or the extent of damage. Local media reported loud sounds of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.

The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan's military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.

The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Abdel-Rahman al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.

The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.

A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna airbase in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.

When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country's capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Within weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.

The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.