The Euphrates Region were once known for it’s fertile lands is under threat as, since Turkey has cut off the water flow of the Euphrates river to the region, drought has began to emerge threatening the land.
The women in Kobane are coming together to work on the fields and try to give life to the lands suffering from this Turkish-made drought, Jin News reports.
The people of the region mainly live with agriculture and farming with livestock breeding and agricultural production for throughout northeastern Syria. Crops include cumin, sesame, lentils, chickpeas, broad beans, corn, wheat, barley and a variety of vegetables that have been an income source for the villagers. However after Turkey has cut off the water flow to the Euphrates region, people in the region were hit hard.
Nadya İbrahim, from the village of Tefşu in Kobanê said that women of Kobane come together with the first light of day and begin cultivating the soil. “We gather for communal work and while working together, we as women understand each other better and find ways to solve our problems,” İbrahim said.
‘We work communally’
”Today, we work the fields where we cultivate cumin with our friends. We plant cumin, chickpeas, broad beans and lentils every year. We start the day early in the morning and work until the evening,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim stated that in line with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas women take part in all areas of life in Kobane.
“We are working together as a family on the fields. We help each other,” İbrahim said.
“As Reber Apo said, life is beautiful when lived communaly,” İbrahim quoted from Abdullah Öcalan. “By working communally, women understand each other better and support each other in amid the various difficulties they try to cope with.”
‘Turkey has cut off the Euphrates water flow’
Emphasising that the efficiency of the soil this year is less than in previous years, İbrahim said, ”In the past years, we were getting the efficiency we wanted from the fields, because it rained during the winter months. We used to take water from the Euphrates with a generator for irrigating the fields. But this year Turkey has cut off the Euphrates water and lowered the water levels, so we are not able to benefit from the Euphrates water this year,”
Free women of Kobane unite with nature
“This Spring has not been the same as previous Springtimes. We will not be able to get the same amount of water we want for the fields,” İbrahim said.
Despite all, the women of Kobane are decided to work hard and cope with the problems they face. “We will continue to work hard. Nature brings us women together and as leader Apo said, women are the closest to nature. We believe that with women’s labour life is beautiful. As the free women of Kobane, we will continue our efforts to unite with nature and overcome the difficulties,” she said.
