ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Residents of Iraq’s southern oil-rich province of Basra took to the streets to protest the ongoing flow of salty water into their houses, blocking main roads and setting tires on fire. 

In Basra’s Tamimiya and Hayyaniya districts, residents on Sunday evening blocked major roads and set tires on fire to protest the ongoing crisis of salty water flowing into their homes. Their actions prompted a response from the province’s civil defense.

Security forces rushed to extinguish the flames and contain the situation, amid warnings of a “major crisis” and growing calls for action.

The New Region’s correspondent reported that protestors from the two districts cut off several main streets after weeks of frustration over worsening water quality, triggering emergency teams to intervene to prevent further damage. 

Basra Provincial Council member Nawfal al-Mansouri told The New Region that the crisis “is not just a local failure but the result of poor management by the Ministry of Water Resources,” accusing the ministry of “failing to provide quick and effective solutions.” 

Civil activist Alaa al-Tamimi described the crisis as a “long-term problem caused by years of neglect and weak planning by authorities.”

“It is unacceptable for a wealthy oil city to lack proper drinking water, forcing residents to live with salty and unsafe supplies,” he told The New Region. 

Tamimi further called for immediate measures, such as building modern desalination plants, repairing water networks, and using new purification technologies. “Without serious government intervention, the situation could escalate into a wider crisis across Basra,” he warned. 

Basra is facing one of its worst water crises in decades, driven by a sharp drop in water flow from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the closure of the Karun River by neighboring Iran. 

These factors have allowed saltwater from the Shatt al-Arab to extend deep into the city, severely damaging the quality of drinking water.

Salinity levels have risen to dangerous levels that threaten public health, with local officials describing it as the worst water crisis in 80 years.