Unprecedented drought threatens Syria’s food security

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that an unprecedented drought is putting more than 16 million Syrians at risk of food insecurity.

Haya Abu Assaf, Assistant Representative of FAO, stated that approximately 2.5 million hectares of wheat crops have been damaged due to adverse climatic conditions, according to the UN organization.

Abu Assaf emphasized that “the extreme climatic conditions witnessed during the current agricultural season are the worst in about 60 years.” These conditions have affected around 75% of cultivated areas and natural pastures used for livestock production.

According to FAO indicators, Syria experienced a significant decrease in rainfall this winter. As a result, about 95% of rain-fed wheat has been damaged, while irrigated wheat is expected to yield 30 to 40% less than the usual average.

Abu Assaf warned that this situation “will lead to a gap of between 2.5 and 2.7 million tons,” putting approximately 16.3 million people in Syria at “risk of food insecurity this year.”

Tags: wheat, drought, Syria, food security