Water crisis and drought threaten more than 12 million in Syria and Iraq

More than 12 million people in Syria and Iraq are losing access to water, food, and electricity, and urgent action is needed to combat a severe water crisis, 13 aid groups working in the region warn. Across the region, rising temperatures, record low levels of rainfall, and drought are depriving people of drinking and agricultural water. It is also disrupting electricity as dams run out of water, which in turn impacts the operations of essential infrastructure including health facilities. Higher temperatures caused by climate change increase the risks and severity of droughts.