Maghnia: Cross-border water pollution ravages crops and livestock

The Maghnia region is grappling with a severe environmental crisis caused by toxic waters flowing from Morocco via the Mouilah stream. Industrial waste, including chemical pollutants and heavy metals from factories in Oujda, has devastated local agriculture and livestock, forcing farmers to abandon previously productive lands. Scientific analyses have detected toxicity levels up to one hundred times higher than normal, sparking fears regarding public health and a potential link to rising cancer rates in the area. High-level government officials visited the site to address the situation, denouncing the pollution as an "act of aggression." While authorities are working to treat water at the Hammam Boughrara dam to ensure safety for the population across three provinces, calls for urgent international action are growing to hold the sources of this pollution accountable.