Syria schools turn playgrounds into vegetable plots for healthy diets
Good nutrition is a child’s first defence against diseases and is important for children to be able to lead a healthy life ADAM YAO UN representative in Syria
School playgrounds across Syria are being turned into vegetable gardens where children whose diets have been devastated by six years of war can learn to grow and harvest aubergines, lettuces, peppers, cabbages and cucumbers.
Traditional Syrian cuisine is typical of the region and rich in vegetables.
But the war has changed that for much of the population, and many now live mainly on bread or food aid.
According to United Nations figures, unemployment is at more than 50 per cent, while nearly 70 per cent of the population is living in extreme poverty in what was once a relatively wealthy country.
“The ongoing crisis in Syria is having a devastating effect on the health and nutrition of an entire generation of children,” Adam Yao, the United Nations food and agriculture organisation’s acting representative in Syria, said yesterday, ahead of the start of the new school year.
The organisation is helping about 17 primary schools in government and opposition-controlled areas to plant 500-square-metre fruit and vegetable plots in war-torn areas including Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Idlib and the outskirts of Damascus.
Young children are often the most vulnerable to malnutrition in a crisis, which can have serious and long-lasting effects on their growth and development.
“Good nutrition is a child’s first defence against common diseases and is important for children to be able to lead an active and healthy life,” Mr Yao said.
So far the primary schools, which began planting in May, have produced 12 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.
Another 35 schools are expected to start transforming their playgrounds soon in Aleppo and in rural areas around Damascus.
The price of food has risen since the start of the war – agriculture production has plummeted, and the country now relies on food imports to make up the shortfall.
Transporting food around the country has become difficult and costly.
About 13.5 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Of those, 7 million are unable to meet their basic food needs.
About 5 million people receive international food aid, but not everyone in need can be reached, and the World Food Programme said it has had to cut the amount of calories in its family food baskets because of shortages in funding.
“The donors are generous, but we don’t know how long they can continue to be generous and rely on taxpayer’s money,” Mr Yao said.
Vulnerable families are receiving help from the UN’s organisation to grow their food at home, so they can become less reliant on food assistance.
“Food aid is very important, but we should combine both in a way that people grow their own food and move away from food aid gradually,” he said.
In a country where more than half the population have been forced to flee their homes, many moving several times, investing in agriculture helps people to stay put for as long as it is safe, Mr Yao said.
“Agriculture has become a hope for many because they can grow their own food and survive – even in the besieged areas.”