Villages built to encourage Bedouins settlement in Syria

The Syrian government is working to build a new exemplary village at a natural reserve in the Syrian Desert to encourage Bedouins settlement in one place, a report by SANA said on Friday.

"We have made a contract to implement a new project for a model village in the site of Hawaya Ashams. A SP 58 million has been allocated for this project in the current year plan, Director Of Agriculture in Homs, Abbas Abbas told SANA.

He noted that the village comes to secure all stability requirements for housing gatherings in the Syrian Badiya or steppe.

Abbas said the village is to meet efforts exerted to guarantee services to housing gatherings like water, schools roads, veterinary units, health units and the aim is to attract the wider spectrum of inhabitants and their cooperation in this respect.

The village is located on Abou Rajmein natural reserve, 45 km north Palmyra or Tadmour in the Syrian desert. It is 1390 meters above the sea with 2200 to 220 mm rain and moderate weather in summer while winter is cold. It stretches over 180 hectare of size and is famous for its biological diversity of trees, birds and animals.

"One of the worrying factor to authorities there is the inhabitants continuous moving and non settlement. Some are afraid of pastures being confiscated, but after meetings and explanations, the idea of the new exemplary village met good response," the report said.