The Syrian Ministry of Energy announced that it has begun reducing the quantities of water flowing through the Euphrates River in the governorates of Raqqa (northern Syria) and Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria).
The ministry said today, Friday, May 29, that the step came after successful efforts and follow-up by the Syrian leadership with the Turkish side, which resulted in the start of reducing water inflows from Turkey toward Syrian territory to control flooding or excessive rises in water levels.
Technical teams at the General Corporation for the Euphrates Dam began taking operational measures to help gradually lower water levels.
The measures included reducing water releases through the dam by 100 cubic meters per second as a first phase, through a partial closure of spillway gate No. 3. Further reductions are expected in the coming days until conditions return to normal in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor.
Euphrates Waters Flood Hweijat Sakr
On the ground, before the gradual decline began, the crisis peaked when river water entered and flowed into the Hweijat Sakr area in Deir Ezzor. Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that water began flowing from Corniche Street amid fears that the area could be completely submerged.
Euphrates waters flood Hweijat Sakr in Deir Ezzor, May 29, 2026 (Enab Baladi)
Syria’s al-Ikhbariya reported that residents of Hweijat Sakr and Hweijat Kati’ were fully evacuated by water ferries on Thursday and transferred to temporary shelter centers opened by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor inside the city to protect them from the flood.
Damage to Water Stations and Land
Syria’s al-Ikhbariya quoted Deir Ezzor Governor Ziad al-Ayesh as saying that 60 water stations had gone completely or partially out of service as a result of the rising level of the Euphrates River.
He added that more than 5,000 dunums of agricultural land were damaged by flooding in several areas, noting that the emergency response committee and the governorate’s operations room had been activated around the clock to follow developments and deal with the damage.
He said precautionary evacuations were carried out in high-risk areas, shelter centers were secured, and water stations were supported with machinery.
He also confirmed work to build the al-Siyasiyah Bridge and another bridge soon.
Presidential Visit to Inspect Conditions
As part of direct official follow-up on the crisis, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Deir Ezzor city at noon on Friday for a field tour to inspect conditions on the ground, review evacuation and relief operations, and oversee coordination among ministries and local committees to overcome the material impact left by the water.
The visit came after Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh conducted a nighttime inspection tour of the points most affected by the flooding in the governorate.
Enab Baladi’s correspondent attended the minister’s field tour, during which al-Saleh said the ministry had begun sending reinforcements of heavy machinery and bulldozers to the governorate to support response operations. Al-Saleh also issued a direct appeal to residents and local committees in the affected areas to receive the machinery and direct it to the most dangerous points.
In parallel, teams from the Ministry of Emergency, in cooperation with the Syrian Civil Defense, confronted the peak water rise today, Friday, by focusing on saving lives. Teams continued transporting humanitarian, medical, and urgent emergency cases by ferries between the two banks of the Euphrates after bridges were cut off.
Engineers and machinery also worked to raise a large earthen berm along the river course in the village of Marat in the eastern countryside, helping limit the flow of water toward civilian homes and low-lying land.
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh during an inspection tour of Deir Ezzor, May 28, 2026 (Enab Baladi)
Assessing Damage
On the economic and living conditions front, Agriculture Minister Basel Hafez al-Suwaidan announced that all ministry bodies and its agricultural and veterinary directorates had been placed on alert and were conducting continuous field follow-up to protect agricultural and livestock resources.
Al-Suwaidan confirmed in a press statement that technical committees would begin field inspections to assess damage to crops, irrigation networks, and agricultural property in preparation for compensating affected farmers. He noted that the ministry had started implementing emergency measures, including providing free fodder and veterinary medicines to livestock breeders in affected villages.
Service Support Campaign
The Ministry of Energy said it had managed to gradually return ten main drinking water stations to service in Deir Ezzor, including the al-Zubari, Muhkan, Subikhan, and Ayyash stations, after securing their surroundings with berms.
To ensure water supplies are not interrupted, the ministry launched a service support campaign involving water and sewage companies from various Syrian governorates. The companies dispatched convoys of drinking water tankers that have begun arriving in Deir Ezzor to secure alternative and sufficient water sources for residents.
Raising Preemptive Readiness in Raqqa and Aleppo
The General Authority for Water Resources took similar precautionary measures in neighboring governorates. In Raqqa, the electric motors of the Tawi Rumman and al-Karama stations were dismantled and moved to safe locations. In Aleppo (northern Syria), technical teams confirmed that the main pumping stations, al-Babiri and al-Yabaniya, remained stable, with a comfortable safety margin ensuring the turbines and motors are protected from any sudden rise in water levels.
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