The Issue Of Food Insecurity In Syria
Syria will be entering its eighth year of violent conflict as the world anticipates further evolution of this once civil war turned into a global battleground for the world's most powerful leaders. The dictatorship government in Syria, known as the Assad regime, has continued oppressing civil rights of its citizens with the military support of Russia and Iran. The largest coalition of rebel citizens and defective soldiers is known as the Syrian Democratic Forces whom are financially supported by Turkey, Gulf States, United States, and Jordan. An Al-Qaeda affiliate based in Iraq whom later evolved into ISIS began fighting rebel groups in Syria, bringing increasing violence and devastation to the region. Disruption to the agricultural economy due to wartime violence has been the main reason for increased food insecurity among the Syrian people and has contributed heavily to the malnutrition of the countries' population of children.
The conflict in Syria has greatly impacted food security in the country leaving 6. 5 million people unable to meet their food needs. Another 2. 5 million people are at risk of food insecurity. One of the largest struggles for aid organizations is secure access to conflict heavy zones which leave vulnerable people increasingly isolated and malnourished. Many families have resorted to negative coping mechanism such as cutting back on number of meals a day as well as adults for going meals to feed their children. To regain stability in the region, there is an increasing focus on reviving trade of agricultural goods throughout Syria as well as reinvigorating overall agricultural production. Syria has been a central trading route for agricultural goods in the middle east for countries that skirt its borders like Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan. Conflict has forced businesses to circumvent their old trading routes and utilize for more expensive and dangerous routes with extortionist 'passage fees' from groups like ISIS, government forces, or militias.
Overall regional agricultural production has also fallen due to displacement of people and limited resources. It is estimated about 600,000 household farms lack access to essential agricultural inputs. Agriculture makes up an integral 25-30% of Syria's GDP and a crucial supply of food for over half the population. Syria's borders have been politically problematic and unreliable in providing the country opportunity for alternative food supply and varieties. For three years the border between Jordan and Syria had been closed due to security concerns and an inability to adequately screen and process potential refugees and asylum seekers. In 2018, this corridor opened again for trade and commerce providing new access routes to new food supply markets (Al-Khalidi and Barrington). Prior to this border opening, the only border open to Syria was through Lebanon which remains a small isolated economy. The Quneitra crossing in the Golan Heights has also exclusively opened for UN peacekeepers which allows for better surveillance of food security needs across the country. If Syria and its neighbors further engage in diplomatic trade negotiations, Syrians will likely see increased food trade and supply which both play an in integral role in the alleviation of food insecurity.
Syria experienced the worst drought in 30 years, leading to overall crop shortages and livestock death. Wheat production hit its lowest levels since 1989 due to not only long periods of dry weather but the onset of out of season rainfall. Barley production hit the lowest levels since 2008. Livestock herds are hard to maintain with high feed prices and lack of access to veterinary care. Food prices have fallen overall but infrastructure remains decimated and unusable. Commodity prices overall are highly inflated making it unrealistic for farmers and businesses to provide consumers with a steady food supply. Governorates like Hama, Deir-Ez-Zor, and As-Sweida were regions with a majority rural population whom depended on agricultural activity for livelihood. These regions were once occupied by ISIS whom irreparably destroyed land once used to nurture cash crops and livestock. The majority of land is now contaminated from explosive hazards, remains vulnerable to occupation by ISIS, and lacks availability of water from rain stores. Internally displaced people in these regions are consistently lacking fresh water and food supplies. Though market prices are stabilizing, many families have depleted their wealth and have continued to resort to negative coping mechanisms to maintain consumption levels.
From 1960 through 2000, Syria's food supply has largely involved state owned farms on state owned land. Common cash crops grown on these operations included tobacco, wheat, sugar beet, cotton and livestock product. In 1970 the government began to withdraw from these operations and lend civilians this state owned land for private use through social programs. The loss of revenue in the agricultural sector from the conflict from 2011 to 2015 is estimated to be around 6 million USD. Government subsidies for farmers available before the conflict are no longer available leaving most without means to maintain basic farming inputs and technologies. Efficient irrigation of crops has been a source of instability for farmers in Syria. Most of the conflict has resulted in destroyed irrigation infrastructure and rainfall has been erratic and unpredictable throughout the growing season, often damaging crops. Climate change has also contributed to low levels of water supply within Syria's borders. Syria shares the Euphrates and Tigris rivers with its neighbors as additional sources of water but other governments have built damns, decreasing downstream water flow. Fuel prices are inflated and power is not consistently available to farmers making water pumping unaffordable for most. Unauthorized drilling of private wells has also disrupted the equitable distribution of water amongst farmers. Household water recycling is now being introduced as a method of input utility for farmers but lack of investment by the government to restore irrigation infrastructure is still a major setback for farmers to sustain daily operations.
Most farming inputs were heavily subsidized by the government before the conflict but post civil war these subsidies are unavailable. Farming technologies have been prone to damage, theft and wear since the conflict has begun. Most farming machinery like tractors and grain processors are in need of part replacement but various trade embargos have left farmers with little option to repair their equipment. Most farms have to utilize manual labor to harvest and maintain their fields while the supply of labor can be volatile in different regions due to increased migration out of the country. Fuel has currently increasingly become available to farmers but most government owned fuel sources were occupied by ISIS which inflated prices and decreased accessibility. Restoring availability of subsidy programs for basic farming inputs and technologies would ease the financial burden of operation and transportation costs of goods and services within the agricultural sector. The majority of farmers in Syria cannot afford to use fertilizer because it is very expensive. For those who can afford this input, it is observed that most underuse the resource when compared to recommended usage guidelines. The General Organization for Seed Multiplication (GOSM) is the head government body charged with producing and selling current and useful seed varieties to farmers.
As a results of buying seeds from farmers previous harvests, GOSM's stores have been noted to be unreliable with varieties growing different crops than initially labeled. Most seeds available through GOSM are expensive to farmers whom often prefer to buy cheaper varieties at local markets where the origins and quality are unknown. It is speculated the GOSM has bought unreliable seeds from various farmers that may have tainted the general supply. Quality seed stores are also threatened due to the latest wheat harvests failure which likely produced seeds unable to cope with a warming climate. GOSM will now have a restricted capability of buying farmers seeds due to their uncertain success amidst ongoing, unpredictable weather patterns.
The World Food Program, a humanitarian organization that delivers food assistance around the world, has devised a plan for food aid strategy to help alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition for Syrian people. Delivery of ready to eat food rations, establishing school feeding programs and feeding informally educated children through programs are amongst the top priorities in approaching the food insecurity crisis. Lactating mothers and young children are being specially targeted for aid. They are most vulnerable to malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies which can cause long lasting negative impacts on bodily functions. Providing shared technology, emergency prepared planning, and emergency communication to other aid organizations are some of the ways the WFP wishes to build resilience in varying populations across all 14 governorates. Southern Idlib and Northern Hama located in north-western Syria have experienced an increase in violent activity as of February 2019 which has impeded WFP efforts to monitor populations and distribute food aid. The organization continues to rely on the UN in demanding access to civilians in heavy conflict zones. One of the biggest challenges remains hard to reach people whom are in increasing need of sustenance to survive.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations is establishing farming training programs for Syrian refugees in neighboring countries to support Syrian people integrating into new job markets. For example, Yunus Yunus entered one of the FAO programs after moving with his family of six children, including two with disabilities, to Turkey to find sanctuary from constant threat of bombing. He had lived with a constant fear his children may be taken hostage until he decided to leave Syria. He was once living in Aleppo working as a finance manager but was now offered a valuable opportunity to learn new skills to successfully support his family in a new country where he is trying to adapt to a new culture and a new way of life. The FAO program emphasizes learning through theoretical and practical knowledge to build resilience and sustainability in Syrian people's lives. Students are taken to the fields to experience how to care for and cultivate crops while attending lectures to understand methods in storage, maintenance, harvest, and planting. Turkey hosts the most Syrian refugees and its economy is in need of skilled agricultural laborer's to harvest crops like citrus, stone fruits, pistachio, cotton and olives.
Training programs like these help Syrian people feel more secure in their abilities to provide for their family and find stability beyond their conflict crazed homeland. Citizens of affluent countries whom have resources to help support Syrian refugee families are inventing creative ways to help them integrate into their host countries’ economies. A retired Canadian plumber and businessman named Marty Trim had six acres of farmland on his property that he was not using. In reaching out to the Calgary Immigrant Support Society he decided he wanted to lend his personal land, equipment, and fuel to Syrian farmers so they could maintain their own produce production operations as a means to support their families. Trim grows alfalfa and microgreens and has a deep desire to help others in his retirement. He is actively teaching Canadian farming techniques and English to the Syrian refugee's borrowing his land. Trim has dinner with his Syrian beneficiaries where they have an English only rule at the dinner table. Al-Mofleh and Mohammad Kanaan were the two lucky farmers to benefit from Trim's generosity, both were farmers in their homeland of Syria but had to flee due to the increase in violence. Trim hopes to develop an alliance of producers and businesses whom will follow in his footsteps to provide Syrians the opportunity to connect with their communities and learn new skills. Syria's lengthy civil war has left its people vulnerable to high levels of food insecurity.
Global powers have fueled violent conflict between parties, funding military operations and training but doing little to bring about peaceful resolution. It is crucial to re-establish stability to the regions agricultural trade routes and production in order to reclaim the livelihoods of the Syrian people. Unemployment remains high and food supplies remain volatile. Many neighboring countries are also suffering from the lack of safe access to an important market for trading of goods and labor. Aid organizations and individuals are lending sanctuary and valuable opportunities to Syrians so that they can learn new skills in order to adapt to host country economies. These efforts are necessary but unsustainable. In order to regain peace in Syria there must be international cooperation and diplomacy efforts focused on addressing the suffering of civilians and their lack of access to an affordable and consistent food supply.
Stabilizing food security in Syria requires a great measure of empathy and political will. If we are to see lasting regional stability in Syria, the people of Syria must have a free society with their civil liberties protected. The violence and oppression the Assad regime has inflicted on its people remains a key factor in determining food security. The fear, stress, and uncertainty of economic opportunity created by the dictatorship has made violence and death the central focus of many people's lives, rendering them completely unable to provide for their families in a consistent and productive way. We need world leaders to hold the Syrian government accountable for their abuse of power and to hold accountable the world leaders who have financially allowed this regime to thrive during war time.
Nations of privilege should open their borders to allow for refugees to seek asylum from the constant threat of death. Countries like the U. S. are in need of immigrants who can fill jobs requiring manual labor that host citizens will not apply for. The U. S. has long been a nation of immigrants and has benefited from many leaders from different cultural and professional backgrounds. Accepting refugees from Syria does not alleviate Syrians food shortage back home but is a vital short term solution so that Syrian's can meet basic food needs when they immediately face starvation. Unless politicians from around the world can create a unified set of policies to hold accountable abuses of power, the abusers and their supporters will continue to threaten the livelihood and food security of Syrian families.
