The Turkish state continues to reduce the Euphrates' water, causing the river to dry up and pollution to increase. Little water and the increasing heat cause disease to spread. Hundreds of people who fall ill due to the pollution of the river water apply to the health centers on the banks of the Euphrates every day.

Located on the Euphrates, 30 kilometers west of Kobanê, the residents of the town of Qena use the waters of the Euphrates to drink as well as water their gardens. The Qena Health Center treats 6 to 8 people who are poisoned by river water every day.

Since there is no drinking water network in the district and the water in the wells is too salty to drink, the residents have to take water from the Euphrates River and use it both for drinking and housework. However, in recent years, due to the Turkish state attacks, the amount of Euphrates water has decreased and, as a result, the water has been polluted, increasing the risks to the health of residents.

The director of the Qena Health Center, Dr. Omer Feyad Ehmed told ANHA that most patients who applied to the health center due to water pollution were vomiting and had diarrhoea. Dr. Ehmed said cases of cholera were common last year and urged residents to disinfect the river water with medicines or by boiling it thoroughly until it is clean.

Dr. Ehmed added: "Due to the lack of water and electricity in the region, the residents of the region keep their meals in hot environments. As a result, the cases of poisoning are increasing. Therefore, the food should be eaten immediately and should not be left for too long."

According to reports, the Qena Health Center treats more than 300 cases of poisoning due to pollution every month.

Eladin Kino Eto, spokesperson for the Kobanê canton Health Committee, said that 391 cases of water intoxication were documented last May from the regions around the River, mostly from Sirîn and Qena districts. He also noted that 719 cases of water intoxication were documented last April, and the situation worsened with the arrival of summer.

According to the 1987 agreement signed between Syria and Turkey, Syria's share of the Euphrates water is 500 cubic meters per second, but the Turkish state uses the river water as a weapon against the Syrian people and supplies less than 200 cubic meters of water per second.