Many dead as citizens protest decades of water-shortage in Iran

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

Many have been reported dead during protests over decades of water shortages in Iran’s southwestern Khuzestan province.

Hossein Nabovati, caretaker of Izeh county’s governor’s office, said on Wednesday that a young man, who he did not name, was hit by a car during protests on Tuesday night and later died of injuries.

Nabovati also denied that three more protesters were killed during the protests and said 14 police officials were injured.

Authorities had earlier confirmed that two civilians, 18-year-old Ghasem Khozeiri and 30-year-old Mostafa Naimawi, were shot dead on Friday, but they say the young men were not protesters and were murdered by “opportunists and rioters”.

More protesters are feared dead but officials have yet to confirm further fatalities. They have also not disclosed how many civilians have been arrested.

Oil-rich Khuzestan, parts of which were temporarily seized by Iraq’s Saddam Hussein after he invaded Iran with backing from the West, has faced water problems for decades.

Its large Sunni Arab population has long complained of being marginalised in predominantly Shia Iran.

This year, however, has been especially difficult for the province – and the whole country by extension – due to extremely hot temperatures and droughts that have led to widespread blackouts and water shortages.

The government of outgoing President Hassan Rouhani said it has allocated new funds to alleviate the situation while the army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said they are deploying water tankers to the thirsty region.

Some civilians have tried to raise funds to buy water bottles and tankers to send to Khuzestan, but others have pointed out that such moves belittle the long-term issues faced by the people of the province who require a sustainable solution after years of mismanagement and neglect following the war.

“Khuzestan’s problem stems from illegal water transfer projects from river forks and stealing water from the source of the rivers by water mafias,” tweeted Fereshteh Tabanian, a lawyer based in Ahvaz.