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Gallery|Drought

‘In Basra, people avoid doctors. They might find they’ve cancer’

In recent months, some 118,000 people in Iraqi city have been hospitalised due to water-related illnesses, experts say.

Basra- The End of Water
The Italian bridge over Basra's Shatt al-Arab river was inaugurated in August 2017, months before the city was hit by an environmental and water crisis. The agricultural runoff and pollution dumped into the Shatt al-Arab waterway drive saltwater further up the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, an environmental catastrophe that is affecting livestock and fisheries. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
By Marta Bellingreri and Alessio Mamo
Published On 8 Feb 20198 Feb 2019
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Basra, Iraq – With its beautiful canals and centuries-old buildings, Basra was once renowned as the “Venice of the Middle East”.

But the southern Iraqi city is now facing one of the region’s worst environmental crises, with its rivers turned into open-air dumping sites.

In recent months, some 118,000 people have been hospitalised as a result of water-related illnesses, including high fever, nausea and diarrhoea, according to Choukri al-Hassan, an air and water pollution expert at the University of Basra.

The situation has prompted thousands of young people and environmental activists to take to the streets to protest against the lack of drinkable water and the government’s failure to fix the crisis.

Formed by a confluence of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, Shatt al-Arab River runs through the centre of Basra. It is polluted with germs, chemicals and toxic algae, while its high levels of salinity – close to that of seawater – is believed to have reached its peak last year.

“The water in Basra is so polluted that you can’t even wash your face,” al-Hassan said. “Fish, turtles and crabs die. The ecosystem is changing, it’s a catastrophe.”

The water crisis also affects other areas in Iraq, including the Mesopotamian Marshlands, north of Basra.

Despite Basra being one of Iraq’s wealthiest cities, thanks to its oil riches, its citizens complain they do not see any of the benefits while also suffering the results of the environmental crisis.

“People don’t want to see a doctor sometimes,” Ali Kassem, a 27-year-old activist working in a Basra hospital, said. “They are afraid they might discover they have cancer.”

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Basra- The End of Water
In recent months, up to 118,000 people have been hospitalised with water-related illnesses. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
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Basra- The End of Water
Al-Ashar River, one of the canals in Basra's Old City, derives from Shatt al-Arab River. These days, Basra's canals such as al-Ashar have been turned into rubbish dumping sites. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
Despite Basra being one of Iraq's wealthiest cities, thanks to its oil riches, its citizens complain they do not see any of the benefits while also suffering the results of the environmental crisis. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
A man sitting on a bench in Abdel Karim Qassem Square, the site of last year's protests against water crisis, corruption and youth unemployment. Photos of the 20 people killed during Basra 2018's Revolution, as the activists refer to the protests, hung near the square. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
Fresh fish arrives daily at Basra fish market from the port town of Faw, on the shores of the Gulf. The seawater is not as polluted and contaminated as the river in the city. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
'Shanasheel' - well-crafted bay windows complete with intricate wooden latticework and ornate stained glass - overlooking the canal of Basra's Old City. In the past, the city's wealthy families - Jewish, Christian and Muslim - used to live behind elaborate 'shanasheel' in traditional homes along the canals. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
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Basra- The End of Water
One of the canals of the Shatt al-Arab River in the city of Basra. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
Hussein lives with his family in Ahwar in the Mesopotamian marshes. The Arab population of the marshlands is called Ma'dan. But many of them have been forced to leave the area due to the harsh conditions. Hussein fishes in the marshes and gives rides to tourists on his zawarq, the small boat he rows. In 2016, the UNESCO named the Iraqi marshlands a world heritage site. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
Hussein's son and his niece play on the zawarq. They attend school, but many other children drop out at a young age. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]
Basra- The End of Water
A man fishes together with his two sons at the Chebayesh marsh. [Alessio Mamo/Al Jazeera]


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