Deir Ez-Zour: Primitive Oil Refining Threatens Lives, Fuels Cancer Surge

ARK News.. A Syrian human rights source has raised alarms over growing fears in Deir Ez-Zour province about severe environmental pollution caused by primitive oil extraction and refining methods. The absence of effective regulatory oversight, activists warn, risks creating an escalating public health disaster—of which rising cancer rates are among the starkest indicators.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a doctor at the al-Amal Cancer Center in Deir Ez-Zour reported that the facility has documented more than 350 cancer cases over the past decade, with diagnoses continuing beyond 2022—a sign of the problem’s persistence and spread.

The source notes that large swathes of Deir Ez-Zour’s countryside, under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), see daily convoys of crude oil tankers passing through residential areas. These trucks routinely emit toxic gases and foul odors, without adhering to any environmental or public health standards.

Environmental advocates warn that the spike in life-threatening illnesses—chiefly cancer—is tied to chronic air and groundwater contamination. This is driven by the use of rudimentary refining techniques, a complete absence of environmental safety protocols, and ongoing neglect in managing oil waste.

270