The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature launched an emergency campaign to rehabilitate land owned by Jordanianin farmers destroyed by a fire deliberately set by Israelis in the northern Jordan Valley in early June 2021.

Immediately after the event, the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature followed up with farmers and activists in the Jordan Valley and the Ministry of Agriculture to find out the causes of the fire.

The organization visited some farmers to see the extent of initial losses they suffered. A large amount of media is available on the fire in addition to interviews conducted with farmers. 

It became clear that the damages were extensive. Around 150 dunums of agricultural land owned by one farmer were wholly burnt, with an estimated 5,000 trees, irrigation lines, and agricultural equipment, to the extent that a cow he owned perished in the fire.

The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature launched a campaign to support these farmers in the Jordan Valley to compensate for some of their losses. The organization contacted several companies working in agriculture and irrigation to inform them of the incident and urged them to contribute to the campaign. 

The campaign distributed 3,000 fruit trees and 52,000 meters of irrigation pipes of various sizes to the farmers. 

Following the event, the organization intensified its presence in the media and on social media to bring to light the plight of the farmers. Many of its followers were shocked when hearing of the events in the northern Jordan Valley and shared what had happened in their networks. 

News pieces on the fire and the organization's positions on the incident were published by Petra News Agency, Al Dustour, Al Ghad Newspaper, and several other news outlets. An op-ed by Razan Zuayter, Chair of the Board at the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature on the fire, was published by Al Ghad Newspaper with the headline 'Israeli fires on our farms: negligence or complicity?"

Many other media outlets were contacted to report on the incident, including Al-Mamlaka, Roya, Radio Mazaj, Radio Hosni, and the Jordan News website.

Based on their 20 years of experience in supporting farmers in the Jordan Valley, the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature confirms that these fires are systematic. Israel aims to displace farmers and destroy agricultural land in the Jordan Valley, which is one of the most fertile in the region.