Day 9

Five grams of seeds for a family in Syria

 Emerging hope Emerging hope

Five grams of seeds for a family in Syria
Day 9
Food security in Syria

In the morning, Basma goes down to the garden. Her mother Raja has asked her to fetch onions, sprouts, coriander and lettuce to prepare the traditional breakfast. Basma planted the ingredients together with her parents - thanks to the seeds and seedlings they received from the organic farming school. Yesterday the school also gave them a kilo of bread: "It tastes like the bread my grandmother used to bake before she had to flee her village," remembers Raja. The fact that they can now grow their own fruit and vegetables makes Basma and her family overjoyed. Despite the many uncertainties of the nine-year war, they are hopeful: when roads are closed, you cannot leave the house without fearing for your life and savings are running low, it is especially valuable to have food that you have grown yourself.

Food security in Syria
need
Sufficient food for families threatened by hunger in Syria.
activity
Trainers teach Syrian families organic farming techniques and provide access to seeds, seedlings and land for growing fruit and vegetables.
Measurable performance
Amount of seeds distributed and number of Syrian families growing their own fruit and vegetables.
Result
Families are able to grow food and make an independent contribution to their food security and health.
Systemically relevant impact
Long-term improvement of food security and health of vulnerable families in northwest Syria.
background

Since the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011, people's suffering has shown no end. Of the 21 million people who once lived in Syria, around 12 million are currently refugees, both worldwide and within the country. Since the beginning of 2020, armed conflicts have worsened the situation of people in northwest Syria, where 2 million Syrians have sought refuge from other parts of the country (WFP, 2020a). More than half of the population in Syria needs humanitarian aid. Around 6.5 million Syrians do not have enough to eat (WFP, 2020b). The main reasons for this are the deliberate destruction of agricultural land, farms, seed banks and water tanks. This makes it impossible to grow food and uses hunger as a weapon. In addition, the severely damaged infrastructure and road blockades prevent food from reaching everyone in the country. All of this is leading to enormous increases in food prices. In addition, many families have had to leave their homes and land behind as a result of their flight. They now have little opportunity to grow their own food. In order to protect people threatened by hunger, however, it is essential to enable independent food production. (FAO, 2020; WoS, 2017).

In 2010, the so-called "Arab Spring" began in many Arab countries. Demonstrators in Arab countries campaigned for human dignity, freedom, the rule of law and economic development. Syria also experienced the Arab Spring, but it was suppressed by the government under Bashar al-Assad. Conflicts arose between the government and the population. These were accompanied by the incursion of armed groups, religious and ethnic conflicts and the disputes over the Kurdish areas in northern Syria. Regional and global powers also got involved, such as Iran, Russia, the USA, Turkey, but also armed non-state groups such as Hezbollah. When the Syrian government increasingly lost control of the country in 2013, it was supported by Iran and Hezbollah. Russia also allied itself with the Syrian government, while Turkey and other powers clearly positioned themselves against the government and in some cases supported the opposition. Years of war followed.
Today, large parts of the country are again under the full control of the Syrian government. Military conflicts are currently mainly limited to the Idlib region in the northwest. The peace process in Syria remains highly complex and is not easy to implement under Assad's government. As long as the country is unstable, there is a risk of renewed strength from Islamist groups such as Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, peace talks are continuing at the international level: Discussions are taking place about how and under what conditions the international community can support the reconstruction of Syria.

Day 9 Day 9
The good deed

Today's good deed will help families in need by supporting school and community gardens in Syria. Children and adults learn together how to grow healthy fruit and vegetables sustainably. They receive traditional seeds and seedlings and can put their knowledge into practice together. Parents and children then pass on what they have learned to their families. After the project has been completed, over 4,200 people will be able to produce their own seeds and know how to use them to grow and harvest vegetables. This promotes their independence in times of crisis, gives them strength and endurance and offers them new prospects in their home country.

AboutSyria
Damascus
Damascus
Capital city
17,070,130
17,070,130
Population
$2,725
$2,725
Gross domestic product per capita per year
Rank 154 of 189
Rank 154 of 189
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Syria is considered the cultural cradle of humanity. Here, people developed agriculture and settled down. At the intersection of trade routes between East and West, diverse cultures developed.