‘Zero season’: Syrian farmers face worst drought in decades
Syria’s worst drought in decades has wiped out rain-fed crops and diminished yields across the country, devastating farmers and raising the risk of food shortages.
18
06, 2025
29
11, 2024
Empty fields, missed plantings: Lebanese fields barren as Syrian farmworkers displaced by war
Despite the prospect of peace from a 60-day ceasefire, Lebanon’s agricultural sector has already suffered huge losses that have left a mark on the sector and those who rely on it—Syrians and Lebanese alike.
6
06, 2024
Wheat price ‘disaster’ in northeastern Syria spells trouble for next season
A sharp decrease in the wheat price set by the AANES sparked protests and has left northeastern Syria’s farmers questioning the economic viability of cultivating their land next season.
23
05, 2024
‘Suicide drones’ threaten Syrian farmers’ lives and livelihoods
Since late 2023, the Syrian regime has been waging a drone war in northwestern Syria. As civilians in areas near frontlines are targeted, the threat of attacks keeps farmers from their land, destroying livelihoods and threatening the area’s food security.
5
04, 2024
Aid cuts leave Ramadan tables sparse in Jordan’s Zaatari camp
Syrians in Zaatari, the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp, are struggling to make ends meet this Ramadan after the World Food Program cut their food assistance by about a third last year due to funding shortfalls.
2
02, 2024
Fuel crisis and weak subsidies threaten Syria’s northeastern bread basket
Farmers in northeastern Syria are reducing the amount of land they cultivate or relying on the rain for irrigation as weak fuel subsidies and high costs make farming increasingly unprofitable.
16
01, 2024
Syrians lose WFP lifeline as US slashes funding
Millions of Syrians face hunger with the suspension of all in-kind WFP food aid this month, in part due to major cuts to US funding. US aid cuts of up to 50 percent are expected across all humanitarian sectors in 2024, senior humanitarian sources said.
28
10, 2022
Seeds of Syria: How a birthplace of agriculture lost troves of its native crops, and why we should all worry
Home to the wild ancestors of our most important crops, Syria once hosted one of the world’s biggest seed banks and grew several native varieties of wheat. But this collapsed during the war, and Syrians are now struggling to find good-quality seeds. How did the country lose its seed treasure, and with it, a wealth of genetic resources for humanity?
21
03, 2022
From sovereignty to dependence: How Russia’s war threatens food security in Syria
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is already disrupting global supply chains of staple goods, notably cereals and cooking oils. This is likely to impact food security in Syria, which already suffers from shortages and skyrocketing inflation.
26
05, 2021
Northeast Syria’s farmers brace for a catastrophic harvest amidst a severe water crisis
The wheat harvest is starting in northeast Syria amidst a regional drought. Local farmers expect very poor yields, which will have dire consequences as nearly 60% of Syrians are already food insecure.