The liberated Northern Homs countryside, which is located ... · The liberated Northern Homs...
Transcript of The liberated Northern Homs countryside, which is located ... · The liberated Northern Homs...
The liberated Northern Homs countryside, which is located south of Hama governorate and north of Homs city, consists of Talbiseh, Ar-Rastan, and Taldu sub-districts. The total area of cultivable land in liberated Northern Homs countryside is almost 10% of the total area of cultivable land in Homs governorate. The liberated North-ern Homs countryside does not have any border access with neighboring countries and it is besieged by regime and diverse militias checkpoints which impose siege and prevent the introduction of food, medical supplies and consumer products since the seventh of June 2012.
Almost 300,000 of the inhabitants live in the region including regional inhabitants and IDPs from El qusour, Waar and old Homs neighborhoods. People suffer absolute poverty and scarcity of food because the single path available to enter food and consumer products is regime’s checkpoints at five times of their real price. In the fifth year of the siege and with the scarcity of employment opportunities, the prices of food products increased to unprecedented levels and incidents of malnutrition diseases emerged and starvation threats the inhabitants of the region which was famous for farming and considered as a food reservoir for its neighbors because it is located within the first and second agro-ecological zones, hence, agriculture used to be the main source of income for most of its residents.
General Information
Map: Agricultural stabilization zones in the studied region and Homs governorate
Hama
Rural Damascus
Deir-ez-Zor
Ar-RaqqaIdleb Aleppo
Tartous
Lattakia
Damascus
Tadmor
Sokhneh
Qaryatein
Jeb Ej-Jarrah
Hasyaa
Homs
Farqalas
Mahin
Al Quasir
Sadad
Raqama
Al MakhrimTaldu
Shin Ein ElniserTalbiseh
Tall Kalakh Kherbet Tin NoorHadideh
QabuAr-Rastan
Nasra
Taldu Talbiseh
Homs
Ein Elniser
Ar-Rastan
Kherbet Tin Noor
Qabu
Hama
LEBANON
IRAQ
Homs
Study area
RiverStream
Major roadSecondary roadSub-district boundaries
Aleppo
Deir-ez-ZorHama
Ar-RaqqaIdlebLattakia
Tartous
Damascus1,1
01<
1,001
- 1,10
0
901 -
1,00
0
801 -
900
701 -
800
601 -
700
501 -
600
401 -
500
301 -
400
201 -
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151 -
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< 150
Annual precipitation rate - mm
Taldu Talbiseh
Homs
Ein Elniser
Ar-Rastan
Kherbet Tin Noor
Qabu
Hama
LEBANON
Homs
Study area
IRAQ
Free Syrian army and some moderate fractions control the region which has been Vulnerable to air and ground bombardment for more than four years.
Map: Agricultural stabilization zones in the studied region and Homs governorate
Figure: Cultivated Land Area
Rural Damascus
Deir-ez-Zor
Hama
Ar-RaqqaIdlebLattakia
Tartous
Damascus
First agro-ecological zoneSecond agro-ecological zoneThird agro-ecological zoneFourth agro-ecological zoneFifth agro-ecological zone
Agro-ecological zones
Taldu Talbiseh
Homs
Ein Elniser
Ar-Rastan
Kherbet Tin Noor
Qabu
Hama
LEBANON
Homs
Study area
• Cultivated land area decreased by 28% due to security problems. • wooded land area decreased by 26% due to fires, drought and firewood collection. • A large portion of the irrigated land turned into rainfed land. • In general, the region currently relies on strategic crops (wheat and barley) and the cultivation of aromatic
plants (cumin, anise, nigella and coriandrum). • The area of land planted with potatoes and vegetables decreased, and olive cultivation has significantly
decreased.
Comparing Cultivated Lands Between 2011 and 2016
Insufficient rainfall, drought and lack of water resources in the region after cutting and disruption of the following irrigation networks:
Difficulty of securing agricultural production requirements and the high cost of seeds, fertilizers, agricultural and veterinary medicines, and agricultural equipment.The high cost of diesel, which contributes to a decrease of irrigated agricultural land area and the farmer inability to do supplementary irrigations for some strategic crops such as wheat, and inability to use well water for irrigation. Poor financial situation of farmers and their inability to fund agricultural projects. Farmers planted more profitable crops such as aromatic crops instead of strategic crops. Many industries that depend on agricultural crops and market them have stopped.Security dangers by the Syrian regime that directly targets crops to reinforce siege and starvation policy. The absence of the regulatory role of public authorities through agricultural extension. The weakness of agricultural mechanization because public authorities do not own agricultural tractors, harvesters, threshers and water tanks.Agricultural soil degradation is not compensated by providing environmentally secure fertilizers and pes-ticides. The significant decline in the cultivated areas with trees as a result of fires and unfair firewood collection and lack of compensating of trees through Nurseries.
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Obstacles and Difficulties Faced by Agriculture Sector in the Study Area
• Homs and Hama main networks.• Houla irrigation network fed by Taldu dam.• The Romanian irrigation canals in the following villages: Dar Kabira, Hobub Elrih, Halmuz, Tir Maallah
and Ghanto. • Projects for dragging water from Orontes river have stopped. • Lack of implementation of new irrigation projects or the use of advanced techniques for the optimal
investment of water resources.
Statistical studies show a significant decrease in the numbers of livestock in general, with the exception of sheep.Livestock
• Nomadic herding of sheep stopped and was replaced by grazing inside the sub-district or even inside the village.
• Lack of promoting sheep and goats outside the sub-district and the inability to buy meat due to poor financial resources of the citizen.
It is worth mentioning that the increase in the number of sheep and goats is much less than natural increase for the following reasons:
bee hivesEgg- laying hens poultrychicken poultry
2011
2016
20,365
7,798
99,355
136,000
115
25
7
--
7,369
1,500
Sheep and Goats CowsYear
• Scarcity and high prices of medicines, vaccines and necessary supplies for livestock.• The absence of central authority that provides advice, guidance and veterinary services for free or at nom-
inal cost. • The difficulty of securing fodder and its high prices. • Insufficient quantities of green fodder due to the general decrease of irrigated areas.• Lack of industrial projects that benefit from the milk.• Spread of communicable and infectious diseases, resulting in the deaths of large numbers of livestock.
Difficulties and Obstacles Faced by the Livestock Sector