Earth Is Parched Where Syrian Farms Thrived

AR RAQQAH, Syria — The farmlands spreading north and east of this Euphrates River town were once the breadbasket of the region, a vast expanse of golden wheat fields and bucolic sheep herds. Refugees have left their farmlands and are living in tents in Ar Raqqah, Syria, because of a drought.

Now, after four consecutive years of drought, this heartland of the Fertile Crescent — including much of neighboring Iraq — appears to be turning barren, climate scientists say. Ancient irrigation systems have collapsed, underground water sources have run dry and hundreds of villages have been abandoned as farmlands turn to cracked desert and grazing animals die off. Sandstorms have become far more common, and vast tent cities of dispossessed farmers and their families have risen up around the larger towns and cities of Syria and Iraq. Read more

“Two to three million Syrians face food insecurity,” according to UN food expert

Mr. Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, visited Syria between 29 August and 7 September 2010.
On 7 September, he conveyed to the Government his preliminary reflections on his visit. Later that day, he held a press conference in Damascus at the Four Seasons Hotel. He opened the press conference with some preliminary remarks about his visit. His preliminary conclusions are set out below. [Full report in pdf available UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food: Mission to Syria from 29 August to 7 September 2010]

The following are extracts from the above report [sections are highlighted by SKS]. The report raises serious concern that the people living in the north-eastern (Kurdish) regions are being significantly affected by the lack of water. In effect, the report is critical of the political attitude of the Syrian Government towards Kurds, and especially stateless Kurds, which denies these very vulnerable people the right to support in this time of drought:

Read more

‘Human rights issues concerning Kurds in Syria’ – 6 May 2010

Report from a joint fact finding mission by the Danish Immigration Service (DIS) and ACCORD/Austrian Red Cross to Damascus, Syria, Beirut, Lebanon, and Erbil and Dohuk, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI)

21 January to 8 February 2010

May 2010

This report is the product of a joint fact-finding mission by the Danish Immigration Service (DIS), Documentation and Project Division, and the Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD) of the Austrian Red Cross to Damascus, Syria, Beirut, Lebanon and Erbil and Dohuk in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) from 21 January to 8 February 2010.

It is not, and does not purport to be fully exhaustive with regard to the issues covered, nor is it conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. The views stated in this report reflect the sources’ personal opinions and knowledge and do not present an opinion of the Danish Immigration Service or ACCORD/Austrian Red Cross. Read more

Lack of funding hampers UN efforts to support drought-stricken Syrians

Up to 60 percent of Syria’s land and over one million people are affected by drought
8 March 2010 – A huge shortfall in funding for life-saving emergency assistance to a drought-stricken region of Syria has forced the humanitarian arm of the United Nations to review its response plan for the population suffering under the three-year dry spell, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned today.

The ongoing drought in north-eastern Syria has devastated the livelihoods of more than 1 million people, driving hundreds of thousands to urban areas where they face extremely difficult living conditions, according to OCHA. Read more

Drought Blights Syrian Villages – Slow response to crisis prompts many to flee to big cities.

A severe shortage of rainfall that has lasted more than three years has crippled agriculture in northeastern Syria, where residents say conditions are still deteriorating in the absence of economic alternatives and an adequate government response.

People’s living conditions in the area are dire, said Ahmad al-Salem, an agricultural engineer who lives in a village close to the town of Qamishli.

He said that most of his fellow villagers have moved to Damascus or other big cities looking for new sources of income, many ending up with difficult labouring work. Read more

Ship sinks with asylum seekers onboard – five children and young people die

A report has reached us from Yeliki Media that a ship has sunk carrying asylum seekers from Izmir, Turkey to Greece causing the death of dozens of people, including five children and young people from Deyrik town in the Hassaka region in Kurdistan of Syria.

The children are the sons of Mohsen Khalaf  Jarro:

• Ali Mohsen Khalaf  Jarro, nine years old
• Salah Mohsen Khalaf  Jarro, six years old.

The other three are young people from one family,  the sons of Abdul Rahman Rammo:

• Mohammed, Abdel-Rahman and Diyala aged between 18 and 22 years.

The final number of victims who were on board this ship when it sank is not currently available,  but the number of Kurds from Syria who died in this tragic incident is likely to rise.

These children died escaping from the persecution of Kurds in Syria.  Families are becoming desperate due to an        increased clampdown on all Kurds by the authorities:

• the decline in the construction industry in the Kurdish area as a result of Decree 49;
• the wasted agriculture in the Kurdish area due to a combination of drought from lack of rain and the withholding of water to the area by Turkey;
• the continued policy of denying 400,000 Kurds their rights to citizenship which leaves them stateless;
• stateless people cannot move around the country,  nor can they leave the country legally;
• stateless children are denied the right to education;
• people are being arbitrarily detained without trial.

Kurds are being forced from their ancient homelands.  Many go to the cities, but others try to leave illegally because they have no choice …  and children are dying.

International Support Kurds in Syria Association – SKS

26 October 2009

Syria Drought Response Plan 2009

Syria has been affected by drought since 2006.  While the 2007-2008 drought was very severe and had a wider geographical reach, the current drought has again affected a population that was already suffering from the impacts of previous drought spells.  According to the Government of Syria and UN assessment missions[1], some 1.3 million inhabitants of eastern Syria have been affected by this disaster, out of which 803,000 have lost almost all of their livelihoods and face extreme hardship.  According to the UN Needs Assessment Mission, up to 80% of those severely affected live on a diet consisting of bread and sugared tea, which only covers on average some 50% of both caloric and protein requirements.  These families are not able to sustain or restore their livelihood without emergency support including food aid, farming inputs, and animal feeds, supplemented by other types of assistance.

One of the most visible effects of the drought is a dramatic increase in the already substantial migration out of the affected areas during the last year, due to loss of livelihoods and lack of income to buy food.  Migration figures range from 40,000 – 60,000 families.  36,000 families have reportedly migrated from Hassakeh Governorate alone. This dramatic move often does not save the families from destitution: even in the areas where they have temporarily settled, migrants still face hardship and poverty.  Communities inhabiting the drought-affected areas suffer from an acute shortage of water as many wells and rivers have dried up.  Poor nutrition, heat, and dust storms have a detrimental effect on their health status.  Very high levels of school drop-outs have been registered in the area, as children have migrated with their families or are required to contribute to the family income by working. Read more