عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Iraq Drought Impacts Potable Water Supply, Crop Yields, Says Aid Group

Iraq has been battered by three years of drought, low rainfall and reduced water flows along its rivers. (AFP)
Iraq has been battered by three years of drought, low rainfall and reduced water flows along its rivers. (AFP)
TT
TT

Iraq Drought Impacts Potable Water Supply, Crop Yields, Says Aid Group

Iraq has been battered by three years of drought, low rainfall and reduced water flows along its rivers. (AFP)
Iraq has been battered by three years of drought, low rainfall and reduced water flows along its rivers. (AFP)

In drought-hit Iraq, six out of 10 households have had their access to drinking water disrupted and a quarter of farmers have seen crop yields drastically fall this year, said a survey published Monday.

Iraq has been battered by three years of drought, low rainfall and reduced river flows, and the United Nations has ranked it the fifth most vulnerable country to some key effects of climate change.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an aid group active in the oil-rich but war-scarred country, surveyed 1,341 households in August in five provinces including Basra, Nineveh and Anbar.

"We are seeing the continued damage from Iraq's climate and water crisis," said James Munn, the NRC's country director, in a statement released alongside the survey findings.

"People are witnessing their fertile land and crops vanish year after year."

The NRC study found that "the crisis has had an immediate impact on access to drinking and irrigation water as well as on the production of crops," causing 35 percent of households to reduce the amount of food they consume.

Sixty-one percent of households "stated that their access to drinking and domestic water had been disrupted in the last year", the NRC said.

In the southern Basra province, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers converge before emptying into the Gulf, some areas have no clean drinking water "due to decreased water levels and high salination".

According to the survey, 25 percent of households that rely on agriculture "witnessed over 90 percent of wheat crop failure this season".

"As a result of the impact of drought on crop production, one quarter of farming households stated that they did not make any profit from selling their wheat crop this year," it added.

Apart from wheat, "42 percent of households surveyed stated that they have seen their production of barley, fruit and vegetables go down" this season.

The prolonged drought has displaced many Iraqis.

Tayseer, a 42-year-old farmer in the country's north, told the NRC he may have to leave his land in Hawija due to income loss.

He used to make 10 million Iraqi dinars (about $6,850) each season, he said, but added that this year, "I may not even get 2 million".

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Sudanese Forces Welcome US Initiative to Stop War

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (AP)
 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (AP)
TT
TT

Sudanese Forces Welcome US Initiative to Stop War

 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (AP)
 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (AP)

Sudanese political and civil forces welcomed on Wednesday the new US initiative that invited the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to participate in ceasefire talks next August 14.
The forces considered the move as an extension of the US administration's ongoing efforts to end the war in Sudan, but said its success depends on the pressure that Washington will exert on the warring parties.
RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo said on Wednesday morning that the paramilitary group will participate in the talks.
“I welcome the invitation announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and I declare our participation in the upcoming ceasefire talks on August 14, 2024, in Switzerland,” Hemedti wrote on X.
So far, there has been no official comment from the Sudanese Armed Forces on the invitation.
Hemedti said, “I appreciate the efforts exerted by the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland in organizing these crucial talks.”
He added, “We share with the international community the goal of achieving a comprehensive ceasefire across the country, facilitating humanitarian access to all those in need, and developing a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the implementation of any agreement reached.”
The Foreign Policy magazine quoted earlier five current and former officials familiar with the matter as affirming that the Biden administration is launching a new initiative to end the war in Sudan—one of the world's deadliest conflicts—with fresh peace talks following months of behind-the-scenes negotiations.
The talks will be led by Blinken and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the United Nations. They will be co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.
According to Blinken, the talks will not address “broader political issues.” He said they aim “to achieve a nationwide cessation of violence, ensure humanitarian access for all those in need, and establish a robust monitoring and verification mechanism to oversee the implementation of any agreement.”
Sudan's warring parties were in Switzerland between July 10 and 20 for UN-led talks aimed at brokering possible local ceasefires to facilitate aid and protect civilians.
But the talks failed to reach a consensus on the delivery of humanitarian aid and the protection of civilians.
Meanwhile, the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces “Taqaddum” welcomed on Wednesday the US invitation, and expressed hope that the initiative would result in an “urgent cessation of fighting, through serious engagement, and full commitment from all parties.”
Taqaddum spokesperson Bakri Al-Jack told Asharq Al-Awsat that the initiative is part of the mission of US envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, who has initiated talks with regional sides to solve the Sudanese crisis.
Al-Jack affirmed that any initiative that aims to accelerate the cessation of the war should be supported by peace-seekers in Sudan and the region.
He said Perriollo is insistently calling for the involvement of Egypt and the UAE in the talks, given the direct relationship of each side to the warring parties.
“The envoy has directed his efforts to coordinate and integrate the initiatives proposed in the Jeddah Platform, the African Union, and IGAD, and build on the Egyptian and Ethiopian efforts made in the past few days to solve the Sudanese file,” the spokesperson said.