Many Kurdish cities, especially in Turkey’s eastern province of Hakkari (Colemerg), continue to experience heavy snowfall. Villagers living in the mountains of Hakkari, whose livelihoods depend on livestock raising, are also trying to cope with the tough winter conditions that threaten the lives of their animals.
Situated at the juncture of Iraq and Iran amidst the mountains that dominate the topography, Hakkari faces cold and harsh winters. Because of the extreme geographic conditions of the region, agriculture as a means of livelihood is limited. Livestock raising is, consequently, the main activity.
It is especially difficult for animals to cope with the cold in the Gever (Yüksekova) district of Hakkari, where the height of the snow drifts reaches two metres. In the village of Dedeler, the residents begin the day early in order to feed their animals. During the winter season, however, when conditions become particularly problematic, they have to also clear the snow to open a path and space for their animals and to prevent their animals from freezing to death. The Kurdish villagers also have to manually carry animal feed three times a day to feed their animals.
