The Orontes’ Silent Agony: Syria’s Lifeline Runs Dry, Endangering Food Security and Economic Survival

The Orontes’ Silent Agony: Syria’s Lifeline Runs Dry, Endangering Food Security and Economic Survival

For the first time in recorded history, the Orontes River—Syria’s ancient artery of sustenance, known in Arabic as Nahr al-Asi—has shriveled into a parched scar across the western landscape. Its 571-kilometer course lies fractured into cracked earth and stagnant pools where once surged the waters of life. This unprecedented desiccation, unfolding amid the nation’s tentative post-war recovery, signals not only ecological collapse but a cascade of…