Severe Water Crisis Affects Over 12 Million in Syria, Iraq

A severe water shortage threatens to deprive more than 12 million people in Syria and Iraq of water, food and electricity, according to a report by 13 international aid groups. The drought in Syria, the worst in 70 years, means that there is limited water for drinking and agriculture. It has also caused dams that produce electricity to run out of water. The water crisis is a result of elevated temperatures caused by climate change, according to the report. In Syria, more than 5 million people who depend on river water that has decreased by more than half over months have been directly affected by the water crisis, particularly those that work the tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land. In Iraq, farmland, fisheries, power production and drinking water sources have been depleted, affecting at least 7 million people, according to the report. The crisis is expected to get worse and lead to increased conflict in the region, according to the groups, which include the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Danish Refugee Council, CARE,  Action Against Hunger, and Mercy Corps.