Idlib farmers harvest figs amid shelling, landmines
Farmers in the Jabal al-Zawiya area that has recently witnessed escalating bombardment by Syrian government and Russian forces, are braving dangers to harvest their fig crops.
Drones flying over farmlands, the sound of artillery explosions and hidden landmines did not stop farmers in Idlib, in northwest Syria, from harvesting their fig trees this season.
Owners of agricultural lands near the demarcation lines with the Syrian government forces in Jabal al-Zawiya are putting themselves in danger when harvesting their crops every season.
In late July, farmers began picking figs, which are an important source of income in the Jabal al-Zawiya area, in the south of Idlib, where the government and Russia have stepped up their shelling in the past two months.
Abdallah al-Aaraj, a farmer who is originally from Jabal al-Zawiya, was recently displaced to one of Idlib’s camps in the wake of the escalation. He says fig crops need great care, which has become impossible to provide under daily bombardment.
