Southeastern Turkey waste pollution endangers livestock and food safety

Villagers in Suüstü (Şakitan) village, part of Yüksekova district, say that plastic and medical waste dumped upstream was carried by the Nehil River onto their grazing fields. They filmed the waste‑filled pastures and warned that the contaminated fodder threatens their animals and the environment, calling on officials to intervene.

In Silopi, Şırnak province, local butchers report a water outage, lack of electricity and a nearby temporary trash heap that creates foul odors and hygiene problems at the municipal slaughterhouse. The conditions make sanitary meat processing impossible and raise public‑health concerns. Both groups have appealed to authorities for immediate action to remove the waste, restore services and protect livestock and food safety.