by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A historic water spring that has supplied Damascus for thousands of years is now reduced to a trickle, following the driest winter Syria has seen in decades, raising alarms over worsening water shortages across the capital.
Ein al-Fijeh, a once-abundant spring flowing from the ruins of a Roman temple in the Barada Valley, now barely feeds the Barada River or the tunnels that once gushed during winter floods. “I’ve worked here 33 years, and I’ve never seen it this dry,” said Hassan Bashi, a site guard and technician.
The spring provides 70% of the water to Damascus and its suburbs, serving over 5 million people. But with rainfall at its lowest since 1956, authorities are urging residents to ration water. “The spring is at its lowest level,” said Ahmad Darwish of the Damascus Water Authority, warning of even harsher summer conditions.
In neighborhoods like Abbasids, tap water now flows just 90 minutes a day. Bassam Jbara, a resident, said power outages also prevent rooftop pumping. “We are heading toward difficult conditions,” he said, noting some families are already relying on expensive truck-delivered water.
The civil war further damaged the spring’s infrastructure, with shelling and years of fighting around the area. After the fall of the Assad dynasty in 2023, residents like Tarek Abdul-Wahed have returned, trying to rebuild businesses near the spring.
“The Ein al-Fijeh spring is the only artery to Damascus,” Abdul-Wahed said. “Now it looks like a desert.”
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised his partnership with U.S. President Donald Trump as the two leaders met for a high-stakes dinner at the White House, marking a pivotal moment in U.S.-Israel cooperation following coordinated strikes on Iran and a renewed push for a Gaza cease-fire.
Budapest police said Monday they won’t prosecute participants in the recent Budapest Pride march, which the government had banned.
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice and FBI have officially concluded there is no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was murdered, blackmailed powerful elites, or kept a hidden “client list,” according to a two-page memo obtained by Axios. The findings, based on a years-long federal investigation, aim to silence long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody.
In a pivotal development for the region, Lebanon’s new leadership has submitted a detailed response to a U.S. proposal aimed at disarming Hezbollah and de-escalating hostilities with Israel. The plan, delivered last month by U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack, outlines a four-month timeline for Hezbollah’s full disarmament in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and a cessation of airstrikes.
The BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a pointed yet cautious declaration Sunday condemning rising global tariffs and foreign attacks on Iran, while notably avoiding any direct criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump—despite his announcement of an additional 10% tariff on nations aligning with what he termed “Anti-American policies of BRICS.”
President Donald Trump is entering a decisive week in his global trade push, aiming to finalize several long-delayed deals before a major round of tariffs hits dozens of U.S. trading partners. With a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariff policy set to expire July 9, Trump has vowed to escalate pressure on foreign governments — not just with levies, but with a wave of formal notices set to begin Monday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance Saturday since the outbreak of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, emerging during a somber Ashura ceremony in Tehran after weeks of seclusion that raised questions about his health and security.