Food and Agricultural organization (FAO) was established on 16 October 1945 as a program under the United Nations (UN). In its 20^th general assembly in November 1970, a team of diplomats led by contemporary Hungarian Agriculture and Food Minister, Dr. Paul Romany suggested the celebration of World Food Day (WFD) every year on October 16 in honor of establishment of FAO on that day. Since then, WFD is observed in all the FAO member countries raising awareness on the issues related to poverty, hunger, agricultural production, changing agricultural technologies, etc. through different programs. To maintain continuity, the world is going to celebrate 32^nd world Food Day this year with a theme of "Agricultural cooperatives-Key to feeding the world". As the UN has declared 2012 as the year of cooperatives, FAO has chosen this theme to promote food security, hunger eradication and solving constraints related to sustainable agriculture through the cooperatives.

This day represents the effort made throughout the world to increase the access of all the human beings to quality food. There are billions of hungry stomachs in this world and millions die every year due to this evil hunger. Thus, on this day everyone should think about the poorer who are the victims of hunger and are bound to exchange their life with death due to the lack of food. Therefore, we should assist those poorer through our cooperative hands because every human deserves the right to food. Once great revolutionist George Bernard Shaw had quoted "there is no love sincerer than love of food". This day reflects the sincerity of humans to their food. Really all humans love their food because food is the basic necessity of healthy life. Water and food are equally important for us because without these we can't exist. So it becomes our responsibility not to waste our food. If we control the wastage of food, the saved portion can be given to the hungry. 

World Bank has recently declared that more than one billion people of this planet go to bed hungry every night. There may be different causes of this hunger either natural or anthropogenic. But there are many countries with squeezed neck with hungry stomach due to civil war, terrorism, political instability etc. Syria is such newly emerged nation whose citizens are compelled to stay hungry by the pungent smoke of wars between two brothers of the same nation.

Syria is now a country where productive agricultural land is converted into battle field, smoke is produced from those fields instead of grains, morning starts with the killing sound of guns and fuel is provided firstly to military vehicles rather than to the farm tractors. Fighting tanks are seen in the field rather than farmers working and fighter helicopters in the sky instead of beautiful flying birds. These all are mainly due to the severe political situation and ongoing violence.

Because of this turbulent political situation agricultural activities have severely declined and the cost of wheat, vegetables and other basic food has sky rocketed in the market. If the present trend continues, the market food price will go beyond the capacity of the growing poor population. As reported in The National, a 10 Kg tomato box that cost 50SYP (Dh 2) last year costs 500SYP (Dh 22) this year. As a result of this price hike, Syrian families are reducing the size and number of meals per day. They are eating cheaper and lower quality food. The story doesn't ends here, the Syrian parents are taking their children out of the schools in order to send them to work and earn money to cope with increased market price hike.

Considering all these facts, the UN has warned that 1.4 million Syrians have been affected by food insecurity since March 2012 and more than 1.5 million people will need urgent food aid over the next few months. The same report made jointly by the UN and Syrian government shows that agricultural sector has lost $1.8 billion as a result of this disordered political situation. Rajendra Aryal from the UN/ FAO warned that 3 millions of Syrians need immediate food assistance. The ill security condition has played central role in disruption of agriculture. Farmers who used to work in the farmland have joined the armed protest, now guns and bullets are in their hands instead of spade and seeds. Most of the protesters are gone into hiding or have been sent to jail.

Thus, Syria has fallen into the biggest catastrophe ever and it needs global attention and worldwide focus. This political tragedy has fueled up food scarcity and needs political resolution to increase the food availability. On the 16^th October of this month this world including Syria is going to celebrate world food day. On the day global eyes shall be focused on Syria and their cooperative hands will be on the hands of the Syrian to solve this devastating problem. We hope this WFD will bring some changes at different levels to return armed farmers to their own field forsaking the armed conflict. Change always starts from minor. We expect that the Syrian government and the global community will listen to the sorrowful voice of Syrian citizens who are demanding the quality food for their subsistence at this time. Only chanting of slogan doesn't work. Therefore, hungry Syrians should feel the reality of WFD this year they should find the real meaning of this day.