Iraq- Iran Cuts off Water Coming from the Great Zab river, Stoking Fears of Drought

Sulaymaniyah province – Kurdistan region -Iraq 24/08/2020

The Great Zab river, which is the main source of water that feeds the residents of the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, has been cut off for two weeks by Iran, resulting in serious losses. The assistant of Sulaymaniyah Governorate Agriculture Director Genera,l Rizkar Hamad Khader declared that Iranian decision to cut off water had a huge impact on the fish wealth. Farmers incurred huge losses also as the cut-off caused a drought in the fertile farmland, which adversely affected the crop production. Hamad also underlined the importance of implementing the international law that coordinates the water resources between neighboring countries, which will help in preventing another cut-off.