QRCS Rehabilitates Irrigation Infrastructure in Northern Syria

Doha, June 15 (QNA) - Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has concluded the rehabilitation of irrigation projects in Afrin, northern Syria, supported by the Syrian Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The project aims to deliver irrigation water to over 19,000 hectares of agricultural lands and revitalize the population. This one-year project meets the critical needs of farmers, amid difficult living conditions in the northern parts of the country. Most of the major collective irrigation infrastructure have been destroyed as a result of the Syrian conflict, which led to the halt of agricultural activities and a sharp decline in agricultural production. The increased drilling of water wells caused lower groundwater levels and higher irrigation costs.
It is the fifth of its kind among the QRCS-led projects to rehabilitate infrastructure for large-sized and medium-sized irrigation facilities in northern Syria, with the aim of re-delivering irrigation water to the affected agricultural areas. This will help to boost agricultural production, create thousands of jobs for the population, enhance self-sufficiency, and encourage the farmers to take care of their agricultural lands, instead of looking for other sources of livelihood. The total number of beneficiaries is estimated at more than 25,000 people. (QNA)