Humanitarian appeal on crop fires in north-eastern Syria

Dozens of fires in Al-Jazira and Al-Furat region in northeastern Syria have devoured thousands of hectares of agricultural crops since the beginning of harvest season in mid-May last May. The humanitarian appeal submitted by local organizations. 

Dozens of fires in Al-Jazira and Al-Furat region in northeastern Syria have devoured thousands of hectares of agricultural crops since the beginning of harvest season in mid-May last May.

These fires, which the Islamic State organization (ISIS) claimed responsibility for some of them, resulted in the destruction of large crops of wheat and barley in the Governorates of Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir Ez-Zor.

According to preliminary numbers and data, the fire devoured more than 30,000 hectares in the Governorates of Hasakah, Raqqa and Deir Ez-Zor, valued at millions of dollars, which portends a major crisis in the region, which relies mainly on the agricultural sector as a major resource, a dynamo of the economic activity and a food security basket.

The size of the disaster revealed the weakness and lack of local capabilities and emergency committees that were recently established to counter ISIS’s threat of burning crops in the north-eastern areas of Syria.

It is therefore essential that all participate in the promotion of infrastructure capable of coping with disasters and emergency situations, through the provision of resources and the means to establish specialized civil defense teams with full equipment, machinery and mechanisms, specialized training programs and awareness-raising for farmers with the necessary protections to confront such a threat, with the help of the international community, donors and international organizations .

The undersigned organizations operating in the north-east of Syria, are forwarding a humanitarian appeal to the international community and international organizations to provide emergency assistance, including firefighting trucks and other mechanisms and materials to counter this catastrophe, which threatens the food security of more than 5 million people living in northern East of the country and are fully reliant on the current harvest as one of the best agricultural seasons in the history of the region for more than 30 years.

We also appeal to the international community, United Nations bodies and international organizations involved in supporting food security and stability to intervene in providing assistance to local authorities to confront this catastrophe and to compensate those affected after the combustion of their crops as their primary resource, and to call upon the local authorities to invite the international coalition to provide support and assistance with the necessary mechanisms and resources as it is responsible for the stability profile of the region, which includes food stability of the population.

1- GAV For Relief And Development
2- DOZ Organization
3- PÊL- Civil Waves
4- Dan for Relief And Development
5- ASHNA for development
6- Qanadil Alamal Association
7- Peace and civil society center
8- Navenda silav a çalakiyên sivîl
9- Al Hasakah Organization for Relief and Development
10- Judy Fro Relief And Development
11- Ajeal organization
12- Syriac Women Union In Syria
13- Syriac Cultural Association In Syria
14- Balsam Center for Health Education
15- Dream Association

Contacts:

Dilbirin Khalil (DOZ Organization) – email: a.k@doz.international