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  • Why: Siege Where: Syria

    The Fig of the Besieged

    INGREDIENTS

    – Fig leaves
    – Optionally, Swiss chard leaves
    – Figs
    – Fat
    – Spices
    – Water
    – Optionally, rice or bulgur
    – Optionally, small fig branches

    PREPARATION

    This dish makes use of fig leaves and Swiss chard. Wash the fig leaves thoroughly in a strainer. Taste the leaves; if they are too bitter, add Swiss chard leaves. Chop the figs, place them in a pot, and simmer for about half an hour. Add the fat, spices, and fig leaves, and cook for a few more minutes.

    Note 1: You can add rice or bulgur to the dish, adding more water and increasing the heat accordingly.
    Note 2: You can use small fig branches for added flavor.

     

    *This recipe comes from a Facebook page created to share ideas for crisis meals during the Syrian war. The page description reads: “This page is not for mourning or for anyone to pity us. We are happy. We explain that we strive to be as God Almighty wants us to be.”*
    — Source: https://www.facebook.com/hesar.food?fref=ts&__mref=message_bubble

     

    Hunger during the Syrian war is one of the most harrowing aspects of the ongoing conflict, with causes deeply rooted in complex political, military, and economic processes. Since 2011, when anti-government protests began, both government forces and other armed groups in the region have used blockades and city sieges as a war strategy, leading to severe issues with access to food and other basic necessities.

    From the very start of the conflict, the Syrian government, drawing on the brutal tactics used during the pacification of Hama in 1982, surrounded rebellious urban centers, cutting off electricity, water, food, and medical supplies. This strategy was particularly evident in opposition-controlled cities on the outskirts of Damascus and around Homs, which were under siege for many months, with some remaining nearly without humanitarian aid from mid-2012 until 2016.

    These sieges not only destroyed infrastructure but also aimed to induce hunger as a tool for social and political destabilization. In the blockaded cities, the lack of access to basic goods such as food, medicine, and clean water worsened living conditions for the civilian population, leading to widespread malnutrition and death from starvation. In some areas, the sieges were so tight that residents were forced to smuggle food across the frontlines, risking their lives, or to buy food from government soldiers at inflated prices.

    The sieges and destruction of agricultural infrastructure had catastrophic consequences for Syria’s farming sector, which before the war had been largely self-sufficient in food production. As a result of the war, agricultural output plummeted, further exacerbating the hunger crisis. Farmlands were destroyed, irrigation systems damaged, and many farmers lost access to the tools, seeds, and resources needed to produce food.

    The conflict and its direct consequences, such as inflation and the devaluation of the local currency, caused food prices in Syria to skyrocket. The high costs of basic food items made it impossible for many Syrians, especially those living in war-affected areas, to obtain sufficient food. International sanctions on the Syrian government further restricted trade and imports, worsening the country’s economic situation.

    Hunger in Syria is not only the result of wartime destruction but also a deliberate war tactic aimed at weakening opposition forces and bringing them under control. The use of hunger as a political and military tool has led to one of the largest humanitarian disasters in modern conflict history.

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