Iraq: Levels of Tigris and Euphrates Plunge in South

People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
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Iraq: Levels of Tigris and Euphrates Plunge in South

People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
People collect water for their animals from the al-Thirma river in Diwaniya, Iraq, October 11 2022. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani

Iraq's Tigris and Euphrates rivers have witnessed a sharp decrease in their levels in the south of the country, officials said Sunday, pledging to take urgent measures to ease water shortages.

In Nasiriyah, capital of the southern province of Dhi Qar, an AFP photographer saw the river bed of the mighty Euphrates dry in patches.

The water ministry blamed the situation in some southern provinces on "the low quantity of water reaching Iraq from neighboring Türkiye".

"This has triggered a sharp drop in the country's water reserves," it said in a statement.

The Tigris and the Euphrates both have their source in Türkiye, and authorities in Iraq have long accused the Ankara government of withholding water in dams that choke the rivers, dramatically reducing flows into Iraq.

Iraqi authorities also accuse farmers of abusing water supplies and flouting restrictions to irrigate their lands.

Water scarcity hitting farming and food security are already among the "main drivers of rural-to-urban migration" in Iraq, the UN and several non-government groups said in June 2022.

According to official Iraqi statistics from last year, the level of the Tigris entering Iraq has dropped to just 35 percent of its average over the past century.

Water ministry spokesman Khaled Chamal said Sunday that Iraq was getting only 30 percent of the water it expected from the Tigris and the Euphrates.

Iraq regularly asks Türkiye to release more water, and has imposed measures to ration water for agriculture and domestic use.

Water is also often held back in dams in Iraq's north, triggering anger among residents in the south.

Chamal told AFP the latest drop in water levels in both the Tigris and Euphrates in the country's south was "temporary".

Authorities will increase levels by releasing water from Iraqi dams in the northern areas of Mosul, Dukan and Darbandikhan, he added.

"There should be positive results within the next two days," he said.



16 Teams Compete in ‘Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’ Women's Tournament in Riyadh

This year’s edition is the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 16 teams. (SPA)
This year’s edition is the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 16 teams. (SPA)
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16 Teams Compete in ‘Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’ Women's Tournament in Riyadh

This year’s edition is the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 16 teams. (SPA)
This year’s edition is the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 16 teams. (SPA)

The second week of the Esports World Cup 2025 kicked off in Riyadh on Tuesday featuring the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” Women’s Invitational (MWI). The tournament is a key event on the competition’s calendar, bringing together top global mobile gaming stars for the second consecutive year, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

Since its release in 2016, “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang” has established itself as one of the world’s leading esports titles, thanks to its widely followed international and regional tournaments. With over 110 million monthly active users, it has become one of the most popular mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games globally.

This year’s edition is the largest in the tournament’s history, featuring 16 teams compared to 12 last year, with qualifiers held across 57 regions worldwide, up from 46 regions in the previous edition.

The current edition features 16 teams representing 13 regions from around the world. The participating teams are Team Vitality, ONIC Pertiwi, Natus Vincere PH, Team Liquid, Natus Vincere MY, SFU Serendipity, Falcons Vega MENA, DreamMax Girls, Rising Rage, WAOW GG Esports, Virtus.pro FE, FUT Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, Twisted Minds Orchid, Tidal Legends Gaming, and Terror Queens.

The teams will compete for a total prize pool of $500,000, with an additional $50,000 awarded to the best player. The tournament also offers 3,350 points toward the Club Championship race in the Esports World Cup 2025.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are prominently represented by Twisted Minds Orchid and Falcons Vega MENA, both aiming for their first title in the tournament and carrying the hopes of their supporters for a historic achievement.

Twisted Minds Orchid features Saudi players “Lyrx,” “Lunar,” and “Livin,” while Falcons Vega MENA competes with an all-Egyptian lineup of “Velvet,” “Sunlight,” “Yui,” “Names,” and “Fvvn.”