Hawizeh Marshes burn, activists allege over 90% destruction

Iraqi News

2 days ago

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Hawizeh Marshes, a vital wetland ecosystem spanning the Iraq-Iran border, have been burning for days, with preliminary estimates indicating that over 90% of the marshlands have been consumed by fire. The resulting dense smoke and emissions are having a direct and severe impact on local residents, while the environmental devastation is described as an unparalleled catastrophe, with more than 3,000 square kilometers reportedly incinerated. Local sources are decrying the events as a 'real genocide.'
Concerns are mounting over the cause of these widespread blazes. Local resident Mustafa Hashim, speaking on the situation, noted that while traditional, limited burning of dry reeds by locals for buffalo feed did occur in the past, such fires were inconsequential and easily contained by the water-logged environment. He asserted that the current scale of destruction in Hawizeh is fundamentally different and is being caused by crews involved in constructing a border barrier with Iran. These crews are allegedly burning reed forests to facilitate the movement of machinery and to clear areas for excavation and backfilling operations. The smoke plumes have reportedly covered Maysan Governorate almost entirely.
Amidst the unfolding disaster, there is growing criticism over the response, with Hashim lamenting the absence of firefighting aircraft that would typically operate around the clock in other countries facing similar events, alongside a perceived lack of accountability for those responsible.
Adding to the outcry, activist Aya Mansour posted on Instagram, 'At this very moment, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Hawizeh Marshes. Continuous fires are burning everything in their path, without any spotlight. There is ethnic cleansing, genocide, and forced displacement of residents for continued oil expansion. The water in the marsh has dried up, animals have died, and now what remains of the land is burning, and no one is speaking out or showing solidarity with the residents who are being subjected to suppression and displacement from their land.' She concluded with a plea for support for the Marsh Arabs of Hawizeh, emphasizing that 'our silence will one day be held accountable.'
These escalating incidents occur against a backdrop of ongoing environmental concerns in the region. Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper had previously published an article in May titled 'Hawizeh Marshes on the Iranian-Iraqi border threatened by oil exploration,' which highlighted the dangers of expanding oil exploration operations to the marsh's ecosystem and its inhabitants.