Death of the Nile
An in-depth look at how the lifeblood of Egypt is running dry.
The lifeblood of Egypt is running dry
The clock strikes five on a hot and dry fall morning when 60-something Ali al-Faqi makes his way through the darkness to meet up with four other farmers at the mosque of his Nile Delta village. By the dim glow of the flickering streetlights, the anxious group sets off on the mile-long trek to their fields just north of Cairo. Holding their breath, they peer into the 8-foot-deep irrigation canals to see if they've finally filled with the promised Nile River water.
