Ohio has 'en fuego' deals for Cinco de Mayo 2026 + Taco Tuesday

HappyCinco de Mayo! This year, the holiday may be extra special for foodies since it falls onTaco Tuesday. Beyond tacos, margaritas and fresh tortilla chips, the day is a historical observance of Mexico's triumph over the French (though it's not the country's independence day).

Here's what to know about Cinco de Mayo’s history, how it’s being celebrated in Ohio and where to find food deals today.

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When is Cinco de Mayo in 2026?

This year,Cinco de Mayolands onTuesday, May 5.

What is Cinco de Mayo? What does it celebrate?

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, according toUSA TODAY. Often mistaken for Mexico's Independence Day, which actually falls on Sept. 16, the holiday is widely celebrated in the U.S. and in Puebla, Mexico, with parades, music and food.

What events celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Ohio?

Several Cinco de Mayo events are planned across Ohio in 2026, from family‑friendly festivals to cultural celebrations. Here are a few upcoming events:

• Akron: Hoppin' Frog Brewery will have three beers – two Mexican-style lagers and a shandy citrus ale – on tap for Cinco de Mayo.

• Columbus area: North Market Bridge Park is hosting an all‑day Cinco de Mayo celebration in Dublin on May 5 with $3 tacos at Dos Hermanos, $8 house margaritas from Market Bar, Latin‑heritage pop‑up vendors, live DJ, face painting, and balloon twisting. Admission is free and the event runs from roughly 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 6750 Longshore Street.

• Columbus: Los Guachos Taqueria, a local chain with locations in Columbus, Whitehall and Gahanna, is offering two-for-one tacos al pastor, half-price beer, $6 appetizers and small cocktails, and $12 regular cocktails all day on May 5.

• Columbus: El Rey, the modern Mexican restaurant that opened in July 2025, will celebrate its first Cinco de Mayo from May 5-7. If you're looking for something different, try its trendy soft-serve margaritas, guacamole with chicharrón planks for dipping or birria ramen.

• Columbus: Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday coincide this year. At Bakersfield, that means $4 tacos all day on May 5, as well as $5 shots of the day and $10 pours of Don Julio 1942 tequila.

• Central Ohio: Hot Head Burritos, the Dayton chain with five locations in Groveport, Heath, Hilliard, Newark, and Westerville is handing out scratch cards to every customer throughout May that will offer rewards such as free drinks, chips or queso, dollars off their next order, or free burritos each week for a year. The grand prize is a round-trip Caribbean getaway for two, including airfare and hotel.

• Troy: The Cinco de Mayo Tent Party will include live music, food and drinks on May 5 starting at 5 p.m. A cover charge will be collected at the door.

More food deals in Ohio for Cinco de Mayo 2026

The Krazy Coupon Ladylists more food deals to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the Ohio. Deals may vary by location and are subject to change.

• Moe's Southwest Grill: Moe's is offering a free side of queso with any entrée purchase on May 5, 2026, when customers order online, in‑app or in‑store. For in‑store orders, customers must mention the deal at checkout. Ohio has nine Moe's Southwest Grill restaurants.

• Barrio Burrito Bar: $5.99 regular-size burritos, bowls or taco trios and $1 Jarritos on Cinco de Mayo at Barrio Burrito Bar. The chain has six locations in Ohio.

• Chuy's: Discounts on cocktails and appetizers, including $6 house margaritas, $9 grande house margaritas, $1 off Mexican beers and $5 queso bowls. The restaurant chain has five Ohio locations.

• Fuzzy's Taco Shop: Fuzzy's Taco Shop is offering $10 Half Yard Margaritas and tacos starting at $2.50. There's also a rewards member exclusive offer of free chips and queso with a purchase on May 6. There is one location in Toledo.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal:When is Cinco de Mayo 2026?History, events, Taco Tuesday deals in Ohio

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 08, 2026

Ohio has 'en fuego' deals for Cinco de Mayo 2026 + Taco Tuesday

HappyCinco de Mayo! This year, the holiday may be extra special for foodies since it falls onTaco Tuesday. Beyond tacos, margaritas and...

Read More

From tomatoes to beef, food costs are making life hard for restaurants

The sign on the deli counter at downtown's Cafe Barista & Deli says it all. "Due to the rising cost of tomatoes, we will not have them until they come down in price."

The same thing is happening atZip's, in Mount Lookout, where owner Mike Burke took tomatoes off the menu a few weeks ago. Burke said the only ones that were available were poor quality. Despite that, Burke was asked to pay $89 a 25-pound case versus the $25.96 he was paying just one year ago. "So you'd be buying an expensive product that looks and tastes like s---," he said.

Across the Ohio River, Alyssa Joy Adkins – who, along with her partner Sergio Gutierrez, ownsOllataqueria in Covington – paid $43.18 for 25 pounds of tomatoes in September. As of this week, they cost $97.85.

According to the latest consumer price index thecost of tomatoes jumped 15%in one month, February to March, and 22% in the last year. What's even more telling is that the monthly inflation rate for tomatoes in March was the largest for any consumer good or service, outside energy commodities such as gasoline.

A variety of factors are impacting the price, including rising transportation costs due to high diesel fuel prices (caused by the war in Iran), a cold snap that wiped out $160 million worth of tomatoes in Florida, and a 17% tariff the Trump administration placed on Mexican tomatoes.

And there's no sign of prices going down anytime soon.

"We are just making sure to let guests know that we will bring them back when we have an option that isn't cost prohibitive and matches the quality that we/they expect," Burke said.

It's not just tomatoes

While tomato prices are grabbingall of the headlines, local chefs say prices of meats and fish are also rising.

One restaurant owner who is feeling those price increases firsthand is Danny Combs, of Colette,a restaurant in Over-the-Rhine. The price of the cod he uses for one of his most popular dishes jumped 30% since they opened in 2023.

In College Hill, Matt Cuff, owner of Just Q'in barbecue, has seen his pork prices climb 13%. While pork was something he could always count on for profits, that's no longer the case.

But it's beef prices that have chefs and restaurant owners most worried.

"Beef prices are sky high," said Tavis Rockwell, owner of Rump & Roll Delicatessen, in Dayton, Kentucky. While fuel costs from the war are partly to blame, he also cites small herds that can't keep up with demand.

"Beef is going through the roof, because less people are farming it in America," Rockwell said.

Anthony Sitek, owner of Crown Restaurant Group – which runs Marigold, Crown Cantina and Losanti, among other restaurants – said he is switching to Ohio-raised cattle at one of his restaurants, since it is cheaper than the cattle he's bringing in from out of state.

Len Bleh, owner of Avril-Bleh butcher shop – which sells its beef to several Cincinnati restaurants, including Zip's – said he's had to raise the price of his ground beef 12% since the beginning of 2026. "Demand is up and supply is short," he said. "And with rising fuel prices, shipping costs are higher." Bleh added that factors such as drought in the West combined with higher prices for feed have lead to farmers raising less cattle.

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Will rising prices mean menu prices will be going up?

For a small business like Rump & Roll, it might be necessary to raise prices to survive. "I took my sandwiches all up a dollar from when I opened," Rockwell said. "I might have to do another one this summer."

Cuff is struggling with the decision to raise prices at Just Q'in, too. "I am considering it," he said. "We reduced prices at the end of last year to make things more affordable, but I am looking at (raising them) right now." He's also pushing the restaurant's burgers since they help him make the most of his brisket, the trimmings of which he can grind into burgers.

Burke is trying to hold off on increasing prices at Zip's as long as he can. "We have not raised our prices in almost a year," he said.

The primary reason he's hesitant to do it again is that he doesn't want to scare customers off. "We are known for being a family friendly restaurant. If I let prices get to high I fear we might lose that," he said. "However, if the prices continue to rise, restaurants will be forced to raise their prices."

Like Burke, Olla co-owner Adkins is trying to wait things out, "Last year we sat down as a team and raised our prices 50 cents across the board," she said. "We do not have any plans to raise our prices any further. We're going to keep pushing through as long as our employees are paid, the lights stay on and our customers leave fed and happy. That's what matters most to us."

Sitek said Crown restaurants are far better off than those smaller mom-and-pop-owned places, which are more fragile when it comes to cost fluctuations. "One bad week for a mom-and-pop is detrimental," he said. Since Crown butchers all of their own meat, he isn't feeling as much of a crunch. But customers are already complaining about his menu prices being too high.

He thinks there's a major misconception between consumer and restaurant owners when it comes to menu prices.

"They see beef at Costco going for $10 a pound, or a porterhouse at Kroger for $8.99 a pound. But I can't buy (quality) beef for under $18. It gives us a bad perception, but they are not giving you good quality meat." From a cost standpoint, he wants his customers to understand that he is putting the best meat and produce possible on the table, and that is what they are paying for.

Meanwhile, Combs is playing around with his Colette menu to keep prices affordable.

"We will try and eat some of the costs on items and ingredients that people love, but we make sure we balance that somewhere else on the menu to try to make up for it."

To make sure he can keep the cod on his menu, Combs focuses on affordable sourcing. He also makes sure his kitchen crew knows how to butcher it properly and use what's leftover so nothing goes to waste. He also counterbalances the cod with menu items that don't create as much of a financial loss.

While Combs is determined to keep using the best ingredients he can afford, he knows that raising prices to absorb those costs can be a death knell for any restaurant that is already perceived as expensive.

"You can have a line out the door and be busy every night, but if you are not paying attention to your (menu) costs, you will not last. He also wants to make sure he trains the next generation of Greater Cincinnati chefs to deal with more uncertain times ahead.

"This is something chefs and their teams should be working on every single day," Combs said. "It is the responsibility of us chefs to be training our teams so that when they get their opportunities or go somewhere else, they are running successful establishments."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer:Why tomato prices aren't the only headache for restaurants right now

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 08, 2026

From tomatoes to beef, food costs are making life hard for restaurants

The sign on the deli counter at downtown's Cafe Barista & Deli says it all. "Due to the rising cost of tomatoes, we will n...

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In Defense of the Band

I had just turned 20 when MUNA had our first “rehearsal” in the living room of the dorm where Jo Maskin and I lived together on 27th Street, in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles.

It was the spring of 2013. Jo and Naomi McPherson were playing out of mini amps. I had a MIDI keyboard plugged into my computer speakers. There was a kaleidoscope-style tapestry tacked on the wall and a pack of Marlboro 27’s on the coffee table.

As the story goes, we jammed together that day and ended up with a song that would be the first on ourMore PerfectEP. Jo will tell you she didn’t know the three of us were starting a band that day. I kind of did.

Naomi and I were in love, and I think in some way, starting the band was me contending with my jealousy of their talent as a musician. I was less threatened by them if I was part of their project.

The same goes for Jo. We were in the same music program at USC, and from day one, I recognized that Jo was one of those undeniable stars. Everyone was magnetized to her.And she was so beautiful.

They both were. The bastards.

Over time, my jealousy came to light.

Years later, we went to see a therapist in Mid-Wilshire as a band. I expressed in a moment of frustration that I was bringing a lot to the table—that I knew I was writing good songs. The implication: I was carrying the band.

The therapist looked at me tenderly and asked if I was truly upset with Naomi and Jo, or if I was actually arguing with an insecure voice in my head which insisted I didn’t have anything to offer them. She may have had a point, but I wouldn’t tell her that.

“I don’t like that therapist,” I quipped as the three of us rode the elevator down together.

We laughed.

Luckily, Jo and Naomi also took issue with our therapist’s point of view. Maybe we felt no one could understand us like we did each other.

This commitment to one another, to seeing each other’s faults and growth, is one of the miracles of being in a band. Back then, I was possessive and quick to anger and had the huge ego necessary of a frontman. Naomi and Jo saw all this about me. And they accepted me anyway.

We don’t love each other because we are perfect, or even good. We love each other because we are part of the same team. Because we belong to one another.

Over time, I’ve gotten less jealous, less possessive, less quick to anger because of the steady acceptance and grace they have offered me. Today, I can admit that I started MUNA partially for a selfish reason: to try to soak up some of the shine that I saw in Jo and Naomi. But I stayed because I started to feel the medicine of real intimacy and interdependence.

Still, these tender feelings can’t gloss over the gory bits of starting a band. Here’s a few things you can expect if you want to go down the path of being a musician: joint pains from sleeping in vans, playing corporate gigs for people eating shrimp cocktails who couldn’t give a damn about your music, electrically shocking yourself while trying to fix an amp, having to perform through various illnesses (both physical and mental), dirty green rooms, moldy showers, sleep deprivation, malnourishment, the list goes on and on.

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But some of our most gruesome memories as a band are also our favorites.

For instance, Brian Jones and Scott Heiner, our first bassist and drummer, will tell you that a highlight of our first tour was a chaotic performance at Pet-A-Palooza, a dog adoption festival in Las Vegas. Our label told us it was “very important” for us to do an acoustic set at Pet-A-Palooza. That is, if we wanted the support of the radio station that was putting on the fest.

We had to head straight to the Pet-A-Palooza festival grounds from the airport. The site was speckled with parents and children, but was overwhelmingly populated by dogs. The sound guy was, to put it nicely, struggling. Naomi’s acoustic guitar kept feeding back, causing our stage to spew out the kinds of screeching frequencies that dogs famously hate.

We got through the set without a canine mutiny, but we were humiliated.

At the time, we weren’t laughing. But we certainly laugh about it now. The memories have aged well because when we were humiliated, we were humiliated together.

Here, I feel it necessary to state that the road towards band-dom is even more treacherous now than it was when we started a decade ago. When we started touring, we were signed to a major label deal with RCA that provided us with tour support so that we could effectively lose money on small headline tours while we were building our repertoire and performance skills.

And dear God, did they need to be built up. I’m not sure what our first A&R guy, Dan Chertoff, saw in us when he came to see us play at a bowling alley at the Roosevelt Hotel. Maybe Jo and Naomi had their act together, but I was a raw bundle of nerves, blowing my voice out in the first 15 minutes of a show.

We’re proud to be part of a long line of bands with disastrous early gigs. Hugo Lindgrencitesan early gig of the Cure where Robert Smith “was mortified at first by his own voice” and “sang the words to ‘Suffragette City’ while the band played ‘Foxy Lady.’” It’s normal to suck at first and get better over time, but these kinds of growth opportunities are increasingly rare for bands. And when they do occur, they are more likely to be extended to solo artists.

This landscape has caused some towonder, “Are bands dead?” Journalist James Tapper has made the case that bands are almost increasingly absent from today’s music charts because of social media’s outsized role in scouting for talent (it’s easier to create a viral personal “brand” if you’re just one person) and the development of music technology that has allowed people to create full-sounding pieces of music without relying on any other actual people.

This is what happens when a music industry becomes hyper-individualized and hyper-commodified. Making music on your own with a computer is cheaper and easier than navigating relationships with bandmates and paying other musicians for their time. It’s optimal to market yourself as a solo artist because you can more easily define yourself, and you don’t have to navigate other people’s boundaries and opinions. But in trying to make music under these market pressures, we are losing the most powerful part of art: its ability to connect us to each other.

Every time our band goes back to the drawing board for another album, we face the possibility that we won’t have “it” in us anymore. That whatever magic was with us in that dorm living room in 2013 isn’t there any longer. But perhaps the biggest tragedy that befalls many bands is growing apart. When that happens, even the best inspiration can get squandered by an inability to listen to each other.

In this way, bands are inherently anarchical. They die when one person tries to become their tyrant.

And bands are intimate and intense. Much to the chagrin of my bandmates, who are in committed monogamous relationships, our band has made us all life partners.

Bands require a lot of you—your time, your youth, your health, the very best of you. But in my experience, it’s worth it. My band has taught me how to truly be in relationship with others; how to listen, consider, and negotiate boundaries; and how to stay in love with something.

I am lucky to have had a career in this industry for this long, but my real luck is to have ended up in a band with two people I would still follow anywhere.

Just please, not back to Pet-A-alooza.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 08, 2026

In Defense of the Band

I had just turned 20 when MUNA had our first “rehearsal” in the living room of the dorm where Jo Maskin and I lived together on 27th St...

Read More

WATCH: Clint Hurtt pushed Eagles to draft Nigerian prospect Uar Bernard

ThePhiladelphia Eaglesrecently gave fans another peek behind the curtain of draft weekend, and honestly, one moment involving Clint Hurtt and a conversation aboutUar Bernardimmediately jumped off the screen. They're called 'passion meetings'. One Day 3 of every NFL draft, Howie Roseman really digs into who his players and coaches are eyeing. The brain trust is allowed to speak freely in a last-ditch effort to sell someone they're sold on.

Philadelphia released behind-the-scenes footage from its draft process. Coach Hurtt's pitch for Bernard wasn't flashy. It wasn’t loud, but it was revealing. If you're curious why Bernard was worth investing draft capital in, look no further.

If Eagles fans were wondering how highly the coaching staff viewed the international prospect, the answer suddenly feels much clearer. Hurtt sounded fully convinced, and that should be good enough to sway everyone else.

The Eagles' defensive line coach has certainly found some upside

Bernardisn’t a typical roster addition.The Eagles recently announced that they have already used their International Player Pathway exemption on him, which essentially gives Philadelphia an extra roster spot during training camp and preseason.

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Teams don’t typically draft prospects who have never played the game, and if they do, they won't casually use international player protections. They reserve it for players they genuinely believe are worth developing. Hurtt’s comments only reinforced that a belief has been invested in Bernard. The veteran defensive coach didn’t sound like someone discussing a camp body. He sounded like someone outlining traits, upside, and long-term potential, and honestly, that’s what makes clips like this fascinating.

Coach Hurtt's endorsement doesn't guarantee success, of course. Developmental prospects remain exactly that. They're developmental. Still, when respected defensive voices inside the building begin publicly and privately pushing for a player, it usually means something caught their attention long before fans ever learned the name.

Uar Bernard still has a long road ahead before securing a permanent NFL role, but after hearing his position coach explain why the Eagles wanted him so badly, it suddenly feels much easier to understand why Philadelphia appears determined to give him every opportunity to stick around. Buckle up. Things are only going to get more interesting.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire:Eagles took a chance on drafting Uar Bernard after Clint Hurtt's plea

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 07, 2026

WATCH: Clint Hurtt pushed Eagles to draft Nigerian prospect Uar Bernard

ThePhiladelphia Eaglesrecently gave fans another peek behind the curtain of draft weekend, and honestly, one moment involving Clint Hur...

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Donald Trump's current approval rating; Trump approval rate today

As of Thursday, May 7, 2026, President Donald Trump’s approval rating remains near record lows for his second term. While his support among Republicans is the primary factor keeping his numbers from dropping further, national disapproval has hit an all-time high of 62% in some major surveys, driven by frustration over the war in Iran and the rising cost of living.

Donald Trump approval ratings today

Here's latest data:

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• Ballotpedia has Trump with a 41% approval rating.

• RealClearPolitics has Trump with a 41% approval rating.

• NPR/PBS News/Marist has Trump with a 39% approval rating.

• The Economist/YouGov has Trump with a 38% approval rating.

• Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos has Trump with a 37% approval rating.

Trump approval rating with Republicans

Within his own party, 85% of Republicans still support him, but they are less enthusiastic than they were a few months ago. Experts say while his "MAGA" base is very loyal, he is losing support among people who usually lean Republican but are frustrated with the economy.

Lowest presidential approval rating

The record for the lowest individual approval rating in a single poll belongs to Harry S. Truman, who hit 22% in February 1952.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press:What is Trump's approval rating? RealClearPolitics, more results

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 07, 2026

Donald Trump's current approval rating; Trump approval rate today

As of Thursday, May 7, 2026, President Donald Trump’s approval rating remains near record lows for his second term. While his support a...

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9 Times Sunday Rose Looked Just Like Mom Nicole Kidman

The resemblance betweenNicole KidmanandSunday Roseis undeniable — and now, she's following in her mom's fashion footsteps.

Nicole famously got her start withBush Christmasat 16 years old — the same age she later allowed Sunday to begin modeling, perNylon. In March 2026, Sunday toldElle Australiathat growing up attending her mom’s photo shoots helped shape her own creative path.

“I definitely gained a lot of interest from those experiences and especially being privileged enough to experience them at a young age,” she said. “My mum is someone who has always been so creative and my biggest inspiration in life.She’s a key part of everything I do.”

Plus, Sunday and her sister, Faith Margaret, haveunrestricted access to Nicole's fashion archive.

"I've saved all the red carpet dresses. They raid my wardrobe all the time. I'm like, 'Okay, what's mine is yours,' " the actress toldW. Magazinein January 2025.

From the 2026 Met Gala to Paris Fashion Week, here are the moments Sunday Rose Kidman Urban looked exactly like her mom, Nicole Kidman.

A Miu Miu moment

On Oct. 1, 2024, Sundaymade her runway debutin Miu Miu's spring/summer 2025 show during Paris Fashion Week. Nicole was there to support her daughter, and the duo donned matching sporty-chic outfits at the brand's dinner party that evening.

Blonde beauties

In January 2025, Sunday and Nicole stepped out at aW Magazineparty with matching blonde waves.

Fashion footsteps

Sunday channeled one of Nicole's early red carpet moments, attendingSofia Coppola’s September 2025 book launch in a sheer crop top — a modern nod to her mom's semi-sheer look at the 2001 premiere ofThe Others.

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Ladies in leather

Nicole sported a black leather jacket at the 78th annualCannes Film Festivalin May 2025. Just a few months later, in February 2026, Sunday was seen doing the same atNew York Fashion Week.

Trip of a lifetime

In January 2026, Nicole and her daughters, Sunday and Faith, coordinated in matching snowsuits during afamily trip to Antarctica, delivering a cozy twinning moment in the snow.

Naturals on the red carpet

Like her mom, Sunday has perfected the smize. Here, Nicole strikes the perfect pose at the94th Annual Academy Awardsin 2022, while Sunday does the same at The Fashion Awards in 2025.

Dressed up in denim

Nicole and her daughters stepped out incoordinated denim ensemblesat theChanel Spring/Summer 2026 showduring Paris Fashion Week in October 2025.

Girls' night out

Dressed head to toe in Chanel, Nicole and her daughters attended the brand'spre-Oscars dinnerat The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2026.

Mother-daughter Met Gala

In May 2026, Sundaymade her Met Gala debutalongside Nicole, who co-chaired the event. The mother-daughter duo twinned in sequin gowns and hip-length hair for fashion’s biggest night.

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 07, 2026

9 Times Sunday Rose Looked Just Like Mom Nicole Kidman

The resemblance betweenNicole KidmanandSunday Roseis undeniable — and now, she's following in her mom's fashion footsteps. ...

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Iraq's historic marshes revive as water returns after years of drought

By Mohammed Aty

A drone view shows water buffaloes wading through shallow waters at the Chibayish marshes in Dhi Qar province

CHIBAYISH MARSHES, Iraq, May 7 (Reuters) - After years of drought that left large swathes of Iraq's historic marshes cracked and empty, rising water levels are beginning to revive the wetlands, drawing buffalo ‌herders and fishermen back to areas once abandoned.

In Chibayish marshes in southern Iraq, canoes once again glide through ‌waterways that had dried up in recent years, while water buffalo wade through restored marshland and patches of green pasture have reappeared.

"Some time ago, all ​our livestock died and there was no water at all," said Haidar Qassem, a farmer raising water buffalo in the central marsh.

“Many of our people migrated because of the drought,” Qassem said, adding that water had returned this year, livestock numbers were recovering and some families had come back.

The change in the region's fortunes follows heavy winter rainfall that boosted reservoir levels, enabling ‌Iraq’s water resources ministry to release growing ⁠volumes into the marshes.

Residents are still hoping for further water releases.

Iraqi marshland expert Jassim al-Assadi said the Ishan Hallab area — part of Iraq's marshes, believed by some to be the biblical Garden ⁠of Eden and designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2016 — had dried up completely between 2021 and 2025, forcing herders to abandon it.

In recent months, the wetter conditions have helped restore the Ishan Hallab area, reviving pastureland and allowing some residents to make ​their ​way back to the area.

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Al-Assadi said the proportion of submerged marshland ​had risen to between 32% and 36%, compared ‌with no more than 8% over the past five years, a view Iraqi water resources officials confirmed.

The higher water levels were also supporting a gradual recovery in biodiversity, including fish stocks, vegetation growth and reeds used by residents to build traditional homes.

The marshes have been inhabited for thousands of years by the Marsh Arabs, whose livelihoods and traditions are closely tied to the water.

Mazin Wadai, a water resources official, said larger inflows, improved water management and stronger seasonal rainfall had boosted reserves ‌in dams and increased flows in the Tigris and Euphrates, allowing ​more water to reach the marshes.

The water resources ministry said Iraq's strategic ​reserves have increased by about 6 billion cubic metres ​this year, giving authorities greater flexibility to manage supplies during the summer months.

Iraq's marshes, once stretching ‌across more than 3,600 square miles (9,500 sq km), ​were heavily drained in the 1990s ​by Saddam Hussein, who accused the Marsh Arabs of treachery during a 1980–1988 war with Iran, in a bid to root out insurgents.

Many residents fled, but since Saddam's overthrow in 2003 parts of the wetlands have been ​reflooded by the government, with around 250,000 ‌Marsh Arabs gradually returning.

For residents like buffalo herder Raheem Abdul Zahra, the recent improvements have transformed daily ​life.

"The land was dry, but now it's alive again," he said.

(Reporting by Mohammed Aty in Basra; Writing ​and additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Editing by William Maclean)

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

May 07, 2026

Iraq's historic marshes revive as water returns after years of drought

By Mohammed Aty A drone view shows water buffaloes wading through shallow waters at the Chibayish marshes in Dhi Qar province ...

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