Poverty Strikes 14.5 Million Syrians in their Country

Despite the improvement in weather conditions, agricultural production in Syria declined due to the displacement of farmers (Syrian Agricultural Media Account)
Despite the improvement in weather conditions, agricultural production in Syria declined due to the displacement of farmers (Syrian Agricultural Media Account)
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Poverty Strikes 14.5 Million Syrians in their Country

Despite the improvement in weather conditions, agricultural production in Syria declined due to the displacement of farmers (Syrian Agricultural Media Account)
Despite the improvement in weather conditions, agricultural production in Syria declined due to the displacement of farmers (Syrian Agricultural Media Account)

Two recent World Bank reports show that the poverty belt in Syria currently includes about 69 percent of the population, or about 14.5 million Syrian citizens.

For more than 10 years, Syria has been mired in conflict, leading to widespread devastation and humanitarian crises. The situation has worsened with the recent external shocks, as the two reports pointed to the continued lack of funding and limited humanitarian aid, which further depleted families’ ability to secure their basic needs, amid rising prices, a decline in basic services, and an increase in unemployment rates.

The Regional Director of the Middle East Department at the World Bank, Jean-Christophe Carret, said Syria witnessed multiple and overlapping shocks last year, more than a decade after the start of the bloodiest conflict of this century.

The economic situation in Syria continued to deteriorate in 2023, according to the updated monitor of the World Bank, a copy of which was obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, as economic activity maintained its decline, and the value of the Syrian pound dropped significantly by 141 percent against the US dollar. At the same time, estimates indicate that consumer price inflation rose by 93 percent, due to the reduction in subsidies provided by the government.

Amid the economic slowdown, which is partly caused by the damage to infrastructure due to earthquakes and conflicts, public finance revenues continue to drop, prompting the authorities to further reduce spending, while tightly adjusting support programs.

Although agricultural production had improved due to better weather conditions over the previous year, the conflict severely affected the agricultural sector, with massive displacement of farmers and widespread damage to infrastructure and irrigation networks, leading to a decline in yields.

Conflict-related unrest has also severely affected foreign trade, and the collapse of domestic industrial and agricultural production has amplified Syria’s dependence on imports.

The Spring 2024 issue of the Syrian Economic Monitor expects the economic contraction to continue, as a result of the real GDP being exposed to an unprecedented state of uncertainty, leading to its decline by 1.5 percent during the current year.

A special section, which is focused on the main findings of the Syrian Household Well-Being Report, indicates that in 2022, poverty affected 69 percent of the population, or about 14.5 million Syrians.

Although extreme poverty did not actually exist before the outbreak of the conflict, it affected more than one in every 4 Syrians in 2022, and may have worsened due to the devastating effects of the earthquake in February 2023 and other several external factors, especially Lebanon’s financial crisis in 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.



FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)

Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stated that the organization will take an active role at COP16, the UN conference on combating desertification, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in early December.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed confidence that the conference—the first of its kind in the Middle East—would produce significant outcomes.

Elwaer’s comments came during a roundtable organized by FAO’s regional office in Cairo, attended by a select group of media representatives. The session focused on FAO’s participation in the upcoming conference and the importance of the Rio Trio —the integrated framework of the three major UN conventions addressing climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification.

Fida Haddad, FAO’s Program Officer for Land Rehabilitation and Climate Change, highlighted the interconnectedness of the three conventions and noted that COP16 would place a strong emphasis on land and water rehabilitation and their sustainable management.

Haddad pointed out that approximately 90% of the Middle East is affected by arid conditions. Despite this, local communities and Arab governments have made notable progress in addressing desertification and drought. She also announced that, for the first time, FAO has successfully placed food systems on the COP16 agenda, enabling discussions on how land rehabilitation can enhance food supply chains and systems.

Elwaer underscored FAO’s central role in achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): eradicating hunger. He emphasized that FAO actively engages in the UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, which collectively contribute to this mission.

FAO’s focus, according to Elwaer, is on transforming food and agricultural systems to become more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable, aiming for better production, nutrition, and livelihoods. He highlighted the organization’s success in integrating these priorities into the agendas of the three conventions and collaborating with host countries on joint initiatives.

He further noted that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of COP16 is particularly significant for the region, which faces pressing challenges such as water scarcity, desertification, and food insecurity. The conference presents an opportunity for Middle Eastern nations to highlight these issues, explore solutions, and ensure their inclusion in global environmental discussions, not only at this event but in future COP sessions, he underlined.

Elwaer emphasized the growing global attention on desertification, as it is now impacting regions previously unaffected, such as southern Europe and parts of Latin America. These areas are witnessing alarming declines in arable land and forests, prompting them to seek lessons from the Arab world, which has developed resilience strategies to combat desertification over centuries.

FAO will have a strong presence at COP16, with two dedicated pavilions—one in the Blue Zone for official delegations and another in the Green Zone to engage civil society and conference participants, he said.

He added that in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the UN, FAO will lead coordination on Food Day and Governance Day, scheduled for December 5 and 6, respectively. The organization will also participate in other specialized sessions throughout the conference.