FAO/The Syrian Arab Republic

When Khadija received 500 kilograms fodder to feed her 15 heads of sheep, besides treating her sheep against diseases, she felt empowered to produce better quantity and quality of dairy to supply her family with food and income.

“Herding is not only my only source for income, but I also truly like herding. I want to increase the number of the heads I own, produce more milk and cheese, and make more profits and income for my family,” said Khadija. 

Khadija Al Ahmad, a woman headed household who lost her husband 13 years ago to find herself unaided and responsible to secure her family’s living expenses. She describes her living situation as a misery as she lives in a small concrete cold room in Al Salameyah-Hama governorate with her old parents and two daughters, one of them needs a long-term kidney treatment. Being in this situation forced Khadija to herd sheep and crack almonds for income. Although she is passionate about herding, she faced climate and economical challenges that prevented her from increasing her assets.

Small-scale herders, like Khadija, seek ways to sustain their only source of livelihoods by trying to buy fodder for their animals and seek for animal health services to mitigate any effect of viral and other diseases, and parasites. However, with the long list of obstacles caused by more than twelve years of crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as climate disruptions and drought-like conditions limiting access to grazing lands to feed sheep and goats, adding burdens on small livestock keepers and herders to buy fodder and struggle to improve their livestock production: “I could not buy fodder for my sheep, it is too expensive! I had to sell some sheep to buy food and medicine for my family,” expressed Khadija.     

FAO, with the support of OCHA through the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), has conducted an integrated animal and livestock support to assist farmers overpass the challenges and ease access to inputs, enhance food and nutrition situation and sustain their livelihood. The Organization provided 4 000 small herders (benefitting 24 000 of their extended families) with 2 000 tonnes fodder (each herder received 500 kilograms), conducted animal health treatment against Endo-Ecto parasitides, as well as vaccination against  Peste des Petits Ruminants PPR, lumpy skin disease LSD and calf diarrhea to more than 21 000 livestock keepers and herders, and combined with capacity building on good livestock production practices in the governorates of Aleppo Ar-raqqa, Deir Ez-Zor, Idleb, Hama, Homs and rural Damascus.

“With the support I received from FAO, I can feed my sheep for few months. I noticed that their weigh got heavier and produce more milk every day, earn money to buy more fodder for the sheep, secure medicine expenses for my daughter and cover our basic needs,” said Khadija.