RUKBAN, Syria (North Press) – In an attempt to achieve self-sufficiency, Muhammad restored a piece of land in Rukban camp to plant vegetables in winter and summer, but he faced unexpected obstacles in his way.
Rukban camp is situated within the 55-kilometre “de-confliction zone” east of Homs Governorate nearby the Syrian eastern border with Jordan and Iraq. It was established in 2014 to house IDPs from the eastern governorate of Homs and the city of Palmyra who fled battles between several forces and the Islamic State (ISIS).
Omar Muhammad, 28, an IDP living in Rukban camp, said there is not enough water to irrigate his crops. He also attributed the lack of production to poor soil.
Muhammad told North Press that “the sudden” tightening of the blockade on the camp prompted him to start farming despite the accompanying challenges. Hence, these simple crops became a sort of comfort for the IDPs in the camp.
The war that has been ongoing in Syria for the past 12 years morphed the Rukban region, on the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border triangle, particularly in the Syrian part of the al-Hammad desert, into a an IDP camp for Syrians fleeing the conflict.
At first, this territory was used as a humanitarian corridor towards Jordan between 2012 and 2013. However, in August 2016, Jordan closed its borders, making the Rukban region a gathering center for incoming Syrians. They were trapped there because Jordan would not allow them to enter its territories, and the Syrian government would not allow them to return.
Gradually, that region became known as the Rukban camp. The Syrian government forces and their allies imposed a blockade on the camp and its residents.
The intense blockade made the IDPs in the camp depend on themselves to secure food. They started to restore small part of desert lands, about 100-200 square meters, and planted some summer vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, jute mallow and others. In winter, they plant garlic, lettuce, spinach and others.
They attempt to achieve self-sufficiency, but the soil’s composition has been an obstacle in their way.
The land in the Rukban region lacks water and plant supplements, which make it require organic and chemical fertilizers in large amounts. Organic fertilizers are available, unlike chemical fertilizers. They are impossible to come by due to the blockade on the region.
Mahmoud Abu Firas, 62, an IDP in Rukban camp, mentions the major challenges they face when farming in the camp. He said, “The necessary farming equipment are unavailable, and there is a shortage in seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers.”
He told North Press that this land “requires more work and more materials to achieve a restoration.”
“Despite all these hardships and obstacles, the IDPs in the camp aspire to achieve self-sufficiency through agriculture, even if it is at the minimum level, especially because of the difficult conditions and the unknown future they are heading to in this land,” he added.
The IDPs in the camp call on humanitarian organizations to help them and provide seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to improve production and subsequently achieve self-sufficiency.