STORY: Syrians brave landmines to harvest truffles amidst soaring prices
SHOOTING TIME: recent footages
DATELINE: April 28, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:36
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of farmers gathering truffles
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): AHMED AL FARAJ, Vegetable merchant
3. various of farmers gathering truffles
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDULLAH AL-NUAIMAN, Farmer
5. various of farmers gathering truffles
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMMED AL-MOHAMMED, Farmer

STORYLINE:

In the vast expanse of the Syrian desert, where the scars of war still linger, a risky yet lucrative enterprise emerged several years ago and is still attracting people to risk their lives for the sake of making money out of it: the harvest of truffles.

Despite the dangers posed by undetected landmines and warnings from authorities, Syrians are risking their lives to gather these prized delicacies, driven by the promise of profit in a region where economic opportunities are scarce.

In the countryside of Salamiyah region in Syria's central province of Hama, many people risk their lives with every new truffle season. The risk involves getting killed by undetected landmines, or shot by remnants of ultra-radical groups like the Islamic State (IS) in the sprawling desert region.

During a recent Xinhua trip to Hama, Ahmed Al Faraj, a vegetable merchant who sells truffles during the season, described the truffle as a natural bounty, appearing without cultivation and revered for its seasonal availability and exceptional taste.

The truffles, he explained, emerge from the desert soil as a result of thunder and lightning, with the peak season spanning from February to March, extending into October and November.

He said the allure of truffles lies not only in their flavor but also in their economic value.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): AHMED AL FARAJ, Vegetable merchant
"The difference is huge from last year, where one kilogram of the best quality truffles reached up to 100,000 Syrian pounds (roughly 13 U.S. Dollars) last year, as opposed to this year where the cheapest kind of truffles starts at 100,000 Syrian pounds. This year, transportation costs are high, transportation to go deep into the desert is far, and people risk their lives, no one knows what could happen to them."

Al Faraj told Xinhua that the prices of truffles increased threefold as opposed to last year.

Abdullah Hameed Al-Nuaiman, a 54-year-old farmer from Salamiyah, emphasized the necessity of truffle hunting as a means of livelihood in challenging times. Despite the fear of encountering landmines or falling victim to kidnapping, Al-Nuaiman and others venture into the desert, enduring long distances and treacherous conditions to collect truffles.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDULLAH AL-NUAIMAN, Farmer
"Due to the difficulty, lack of work, and money, we go out to work in this season. The season is good, thank God, and in these circumstances, a person is forced to gather truffles, meaning it's a good season with good production and people risk their lives to gather them."

"We are afraid," Al-Nuaiman admitted, He recounted the arduous journey, with some locations requiring round trips of up to 250 kilometers, undertaken daily in search of these coveted treasures.

Mohammed Daya Al-Mohammed, another farmer from Salamiyah, echoes Al-Nuaiman's sentiments, highlighting the desperation driving many to risk their lives for financial gain. "Money is scarce," he explained, "and we have reached a very difficult time when everything is expensive."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): MOHAMMED AL-MOHAMMED, Farmer
"If I have work, I will not go out to collect wild plants, especially at this time. Before the crisis, I used to go to the farthest places like the desert of Palmyra, the desert of Deir al-Zour, and the desert of Raqqa, reaching places that are 200, 250, or 300 kilometers away, even reaching the borders of Iraq."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in March that a total of 80 civilians lost their lives as a result of the undetected landmines in Syria, the majority of whom were searching for truffles.

A UN official said on Friday that landmines, remnants of explosive conflict, and improvised explosive devices are causing fatalities and injuries, particularly in regions affected by armed conflicts. On average, one person is killed every hour due to these threats, with Syria being the most heavily impacted.

Christelle Loupforest, the head of the UN Mine Action Service in Geneva, highlighted the severe impact on communities and the restrictions on movement and displacement caused by the presence of these dangerous weapons. She emphasized the significant number of casualties in Syria, making it a top concern in terms of landmine-related incidents.

"Syria is a country that I would put on top of the list because if I look at the number of casualties, it still has a huge amount of casualties," she said.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)