According to lines 23-40 what does the speaker prefer to believe about the bent birches

to see 23 to 40 would be good ...

In the Middle East, the root of survival-centered issues is the lack of water. Livestock and crops suffer due to water scarcity, but this food source isn't the only problem—drinking water is also lacking. Not to mention, hygiene suffers from this deficit as well. 

 C. water scarcity

Hope this helps!