Deir Ezzor – Obadah al-Sheikh
The suffering of residents continues due to the destruction of infrastructure in Deir Ezzor province, especially the bridges that connect the banks of the Euphrates River, which resulted from the war that the region has witnessed over the past years.
The destruction of these bridges has led to problems that have impacted the daily reality for residents, as movement between the riverbanks has been disrupted, and transportation costs have doubled.
Residents of Deir Ezzor province have demanded that the new Syrian government immediately begin the reconstruction of the destroyed bridges to restore transportation between the banks, as the river isolates the city of Deir Ezzor from its eastern countryside and part of its northern area.
Crossing towards the city of Deir Ezzor, or towards other Syrian provinces, is a pressing need for the people of the region, especially those who need to visit hospitals or government institutions located on the other side of the river.
Years of suffering
For the people of Deir Ezzor province, the bridges are not merely infrastructure or architectural issues, according to civil engineer Malik a-Tarash, who stated to Enab Baladi that rehabilitating the bridges of Deir Ezzor is “extremely important,” as these bridges are vital arteries connecting the city to its outskirts and facilitating the movement of people and goods.
He added that the deterioration of the bridges jeopardizes people’s lives and hinders economic development, stressing the need to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the state of the bridges and to restore them according to modern engineering standards, taking into account the climatic and geological conditions of the area.
Rajab al-Kadrou, a school teacher living in Deir Ezzor, told Enab Baladi that rehabilitating the bridges of Deir Ezzor would contribute to improving educational opportunities for children, noting that many students are forced to travel long distances to reach their schools.
He added that the deterioration of the bridges makes students’ journeys to school more difficult and dangerous.
The teacher considered that rehabilitating the bridges would facilitate students’ access to their schools, providing them with a safe and stable educational environment, and would also ease the movement of teachers and educational resources between areas.
Hope for reconstruction
Deir Ezzor province faces challenges in reconstructing the bridges, the most notable being the extent of the destruction caused by military clashes.
The director of the media office of Deir Ezzor province, Qasim al-Jadaan, stated to Enab Baladi that the state of the bridges in the province has been evaluated, starting from Maidan Atiq in the west of the province to the village of al-Hari in eastern Deir Ezzor, and appropriate studies have been prepared for their rehabilitation while corresponding with the Prime Minister’s office for approvals and securing funding for these works.
He added that the government has rehabilitated temporary crossings to secure emergency citizen transport between the riverbanks until the plans for the main bridges are launched, in addition to securing ferries that facilitate the transport of vehicles and citizens under the supervision of the Deir Ezzor Directorate of Technical Services.
Al-Jadaan further told Enab Baladi that the province is trying to secure high-tech engineering equipment, such as high-capacity cranes and modern engineering machinery, and is working on communicating with international organizations capable of funding these projects through humanitarian coordination offices in the province.
The importance of bridges
Bridges provide a faster, easier, and cheaper way to travel. After the city’s bridges were destroyed, citizens had to travel across on small boats from one bank to the other, forcing them to pay transport fees to the boat owners.
The presence of bridges creates economic corridors that facilitate the exchange of agricultural and livestock products and strengthens social ties between the residents of both banks.
Students in the northern countryside of the province (al-Husayniyah, Marat, and Hatlah) must cross the river to go to their schools in the city, making the bridges, especially the “Syasiya Bridge,” an easier route for them compared to river ferries.
Destruction of bridges has severed links of the province
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) documented in a report titled “Deir Ez-Zour… A Limb-severed Governorate” 29 incidents of attacks on the province’s bridges from 2011 to March 2017.
The assaults were distributed as nine by the previous Syrian regime forces, 15 attributed to the “International Coalition,” while extremist organizations destroyed two bridges, and one bridge was destroyed by Russian forces, while two incidents were attributed to unknown parties.
On November 3, 2017, the regime reclaimed control of Deir Ezzor city, and Deir Ezzor Governor Mohammad Ibrahim Samra stated at that time that the city needed six billion Syrian pounds as “an emergency measure” to reconstruct and rebuild what was destroyed by “terrorist organizations” in the city’s infrastructure.
Between banks of Euphrates River.. Deir Ezzor awaits rehabilitation of bridges Enab Baladi.
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