Iran's Zayande river, which cuts through the historical central city of Isfahan, has virtually dried up because of the unprecedented drought wracking the nation, press reports said Tuesday.
The Zayande, best known from touristic photographs of it pouring through the arches in Isfahan's famous Si-o-Sepol bridge, is completely dry except for a few scattered pools of stagnant water, the reports said.
A UN fact-finding mission said last week that emergency international aid was needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Iran, which is suffering from its second consecutive summer of drought.
More than half of Iran's population of 62 million is estimated to be suffering from a shortage of drinking water. - (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
