Syrian truffle hunters risk lives to make much-needed cash

STORY: Syrian truffle hunters risk lives to make much-needed cash DATELINE: May 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:26 LOCATION: HAMA, Syria CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various inside the truffles market in Hama city 2. various of woman collecting the truffles in Hama countryside 3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDUL AZIZ AL-OQAB, Local resident 4. various of truffles market 5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): NAZZAL AL-ADAB Nazzal, Local resident STORYLINE: Many Syrians, who are grappling with poverty after enduring 12 years of conflict, are risking their lives to collect truffles for the lucrative profit they bring. Searching for truffles has become extremely dangerous in the country. IS militants have repeatedly preyed on the fungus hunters while landmine blasts have also killed many. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): ABDUL AZIZ AL-OQAB, Local resident "Regional countries consume large quantities of this mushroom, and in Syria, there is difficulty in making a living. So, people started looking for ways to make money and discovered that coll