ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday issued a stark warning on Iraq’s worsening water crisis, saying Iraq’s “deepening” water shortage is “jeopardizing” the future of millions of children.
"For countless Iraqi families, the water crisis has become an inescapable part of daily life," UNICEF said in a statement on World Children's Day on Thursday. Across the country, the statement adds, taps run for only a few hours each day or only on certain days of the week, forcing families "to rely on expensive truck water or private supplies that are often unsafe."
The statement cited Christian Skoog, UNICEF Representative in Iraq, as saying "If we do not protect Iraq’s water today, we fail to protect its children and young people tomorrow."
When Rudaw’s Namo Abdulla asked him about the UNICEF warning during a press briefing in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, hoped that "all the Iraqi authorities at various levels will work with UNICEF to try to correct the problem," adding they hope that “the donors, member states, will give generously to UNICEF's work in that regard."
UNICEF said it is addressing the water crisis as part of a wider push to protect children’s rights, focusing on “tackling climate risks,” giving every child “a healthy start in life,” protecting them from “violence, abuse and harmful practices,” improving education so every child can learn, and strengthening social protection systems to help vulnerable families “cope with shocks.”
Iraq relies heavily on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for its water supply, both of which originate in Turkey. However, extensive dam projects in Turkey, particularly the Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP), have drastically reduced water flow downstream into Iraq.
Earlier this month, Iraq's water ministry warned that the country is receiving less than one-third of its water entitlements from neighboring countries, while national water storage levels have dropped below six percent. “Currently Iraq receives less than 30 percent of its water needs,” ministry spokesperson Khaled Shamal told Rudaw.
Baghdad has repeatedly urged Turkey to release more water.
In early July, Turkey pledged to increase water releases into the Tigris and Euphrates by 420 cubic meters per second following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani.
Late last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in the Iraqi capital. He, along with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, signed the implementation mechanism of the Framework Water Cooperation Agreement, a deal officials say aims to provide sustainable solutions to Iraq’s worsening water crisis.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, following the deal, hailed the agreement as “one of the sustainable solutions to Iraq’s water crisis,” saying it includes “a package of major joint projects to be implemented in the water sector.”
In late April 2024, Sudani and Erdogan signed a multi-billion-dollar package of 26 agreements and memoranda of understanding, including a framework agreement on water policy cooperation. The 10-year pact outlines joint river management initiatives and paves the way for increased Turkish investment under Iraqi coordination.