How dirty water poisons people in Basra - the “Venice of the East.”

The Iraqi city of Basra was once notable for its waterways. Today, tens of thousands of citizens are poisoned by dirty water. The salinity now exceeds drinking standards. Experts see the problem as the dozens of dams Turkey has built limiting the flow of river water through Iraq. As activists talk about the need to reach agreements with neighbouring countries Iraq’s water supply, the population of Basra is protesting, demanding clean water. Some people are leaving the city because of their living conditions.