Ferries of fear -- war-weary Syrians forced to risk lives on the Euphrates

DEIR AL-ZOUR, Syria, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A rusting, flat-bottomed ferry crawls across the Euphrates, its deck crowded with passengers and their belongings, including a fully loaded truck.

The vessel lurches forward, the river's restless current slapping against its hull, occasionally sending water spilling over the sides. Onboard, the atmosphere is tense, as people cling desperately to anything they can grasp, their eyes fixed on the churning water below, fearful that one wrong move could send them plunging into the swift current.

For residents of eastern Syria's Deir al-Zour province, such perilous crossings have become an inescapable part of daily life, as the makeshift ferries, known locally as Abarat, now serve as the only means of crossing the Euphrates after the destruction of all major bridges during the country's years of conflict.

"Transportation here has become a matter of survival," said Adnan al-Dakhil, a member of the executive office of Deir al-Zour province. "These ferries are primitive and dangerous, but people have no alternative."

Deir al-Zour once had six major bridges linking the eastern Jazira region with the western Shamiya bank, but all were destroyed by late 2017 during the intense fighting. Today, only one temporary earthen bridge, constructed in 2022, connects parts of the riverbanks in the northern urban area. For the vast rural region, river ferries remain the only viable option.

"These crossings are essential, especially for people from the Jazira region who need medical treatment, work, or basic services," al-Dakhil told Xinhua. "But the real danger is the distance. The ferry crossings often take place in extremely remote areas. In the event of an accident, rescue teams simply cannot reach in time."

"With no bridges, we're left with no choice but to depend on the ferries to get by," said Diaa al-Shaabi, a local resident. "But these ferries are falling apart, breaking down, drifting with the current, and sometimes even sinking with the vehicles on board. It's a constant, creeping terror."

Over the course of his many crossings, he has encountered mechanical failures, collisions between ferries, and water creeping through cracked hulls. "Most breakdowns happen in the engine. Once that fails, the ferry starts taking on water, and there's nothing you can do," he said.

"Using the ferries is pure suffering," said Hussein al-Issa, a resident of the nearby village of Tabiya al-Jazira. "When there's a medical emergency, we're left waiting in line, not knowing if we'll even make it to the other side."

He recounted how ambulances have flipped over in the past, and cars frequently tumble into the river, "almost daily."

Compared to the residents, for the ferry operators, this danger is an even more inescapable, almost daily reality they must confront.

"Before the war, I sold vegetables," Bahaa al-Wiyas, a ferry operator from eastern Deir al-Zour, said. "After the bridges were destroyed, this became my new job, ferrying people and vehicles across the river."

He said the ferries often carry loads far beyond safe limits. "Some trucks weigh 10 or even 13 tons. One small leak and the ferry tilts and overturns immediately."

"When a bus with 60 people boards the ferry, you could only pray nothing goes wrong," he said.

Now, with the situation in Syria gradually stabilizing, local residents are urging the authorities to prioritize the welfare of the people by improving infrastructure, including rebuilding bridges.

"We want the new state to rebuild the bridges. That is our only demand," al-Wiyas said.  ■