The painting dates from long before the war, when this region of north-east Syria was still under government control.
In a region ravaged by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group and armed conflict, prolonged drought and drying rivers have made stability even more precarious. Here, the normally abstract idea of climate change can be seen in the city's daily bread."We feed corn to chickens," said Mr Khider Shaban, 48, a grain farmer near the town of Al Shaddadi, where bare earth has replaced most of the wheat fields because of lack of water.
The wheat they do grow is lower quality and sells for much less than before the current drought two years ago, according to farmers, government officials and aid organisations. In north-east Syria, the drought has been particularly acute over the past two years. But lower than average rainfall is only part of the problem.
Turkey has denied the accusation, blaming outages on technical problems and the lack of electricity from a dam outside of its control. And the cost of diesel fuel has soared, along with prices of other essentials, because of an economic embargo on the region by its neighbours, Turkey and the government-controlled part of Syria, and United States economic sanctions against Syria, which also affect this region.
Source: Energy Industry News (energyindustrynews.net)