Residents of the drought-stricken al-Budayr district, located south of al-Diwaniyah, organized a massive demonstration demanding the restoration of essential services to their villages. The primary focus of the protest was to secure water quotas for the farmers whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by the prolonged water shortage.

Dozens of local residents participated in the protest, voicing their frustrations and urging immediate action from authorities. Abu Alaa, a local farmer, expressed the community's plight to Kurdistan 24. "For four years, we have been deprived of water, causing people to migrate and abandon their villages. Some villages received aid as immigrants, while others did not. All the people in the district's villages are in need of assistance. We urge the al-Diwaniyah Governorate Council to address our plight because al-Budayr is a district in name only," he said.

The severe impact of the water shortage was further highlighted by another farmer, Ammar Al-Saadawi. "The al-Budayr district suffers from severe drought, leading to significant problems such as migration from the countryside to the city, increased unemployment, and a complete halt in water supply. Our orchards and farms have been decimated, and the livestock sector has collapsed due to the water shortage," he told Kurdistan 24.

In response to the protest, a representative from the local government in al-Diwaniyah attended and promised to relay the protesters' legitimate demands to the relevant authorities for swift action. Jaafar al-Zamly, the representative of the Governor of al-Diwaniyah, acknowledged the increase in water releases from the Ministry of Water Resources, particularly during this season. However, he emphasized that resolving the water issue would take time.

"There is an increase in water releases from the Ministry of Water Resources, especially in this season, but resolving the water issue will take time," said Jaafar al-Zamly. "The governorate committees are taking measures, and special committees have been allocated to follow up on this issue. Several projects were disrupted last year due to water outages and drought," he added.

The villages of al-Budayr district have recently witnessed the migration of most farmers due to the severe water scarcity that has devastated their lands, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the local community.

As the situation remains critical, the residents of al-Budayr district continue to call for urgent intervention to alleviate their hardships and restore essential services to their drought-stricken villages.