Residents of Al-Sukhnah demand permission to farm ancestral lands

Residents of Al-Sukhnah and surrounding communities in the eastern Homs desert are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture to reconsider regulations governing the cultivation of pastoral lands. Local inhabitants are requesting permission to engage in rain-fed farming, a practice they have maintained for decades to secure their livelihoods.

Abdul Hamid Kanaan, the director of the Al-Sukhnah district, stated that Law No. 62 of 2006, which prohibits the cultivation of pastoral lands, has negatively impacted the living conditions of the population. He noted that residents typically cultivate less than 1% of the desert area, focusing on floodplains and watercourses rather than hills or primary grazing lands. Kanaan urged the ministry to grant specific exceptions to balance local needs with the protection of pastures.

Local residents, including those returning after years of displacement, emphasized that farming wheat and barley is essential for food security and providing animal fodder. They expressed a desire to utilize current seasonal rainfall and floods for rain-fed agriculture to help rebuild homes and stabilize their communities.