UN, Charities Warn Drought May Exacerbate Syria’s Hunger Crisis

An internally displaced Syrian boy stands next to boxes of humanitarian aid at the back of a truck in opposition-held Idlib, Syria, June 9, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
An internally displaced Syrian boy stands next to boxes of humanitarian aid at the back of a truck in opposition-held Idlib, Syria, June 9, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
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UN, Charities Warn Drought May Exacerbate Syria’s Hunger Crisis

An internally displaced Syrian boy stands next to boxes of humanitarian aid at the back of a truck in opposition-held Idlib, Syria, June 9, 2021. (Reuters Photo)
An internally displaced Syrian boy stands next to boxes of humanitarian aid at the back of a truck in opposition-held Idlib, Syria, June 9, 2021. (Reuters Photo)

A month-long drought is threatening to exacerbate a hunger crisis in Syria, as wheat might be scarce this year due to poor harvests, according to UN estimates.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) expects wheat harvest to be "way down" this season compared to last year, FAO representative in Syria Michael Robson told dpa.

The Welthungerhilfe, a German charity whose name loosely translates as World Food Aid, warned that the number of people dependent on humanitarian aid would increase drastically.

"The hunger situation of the people in Syria is already absolutely catastrophic today," said Syria coordinator Konstantin Witschel.

He said the charity was looking at the harvest with great concern.

"People have no reserves left and must not be left alone with this drought," Witschel urged. "Food will become even scarcer, and prices for bread, vegetables and fruits will continue to rise."
The FAO didn't give exact numbers regarding the wheat harvest, however.

A representative of the Kurdish autonomous region in the north of the country said he was expecting wheat harvest there to collapse by 45 percent. The Kurdish-controlled region is considered vital for Syria’s wheat supplies.

The country has been battered by 10 years of civil war, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Syria has also been suffering from a severe economic crisis since 2019.

According to the World Food Program (WFP), about 12 million Syrians, or almost 60 percent of the population, don't have enough to eat.



Sharaa Tours More Syrian Cities ahead of National Conference

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
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Sharaa Tours More Syrian Cities ahead of National Conference

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus on Sunday as part of a tour of the country that he kicked off on Saturday in the Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

The tour is taking place weeks ahead of a national conference scheduled in Homs in central Syria.

Sharaa was warmly welcomed by crowds that gathered in Latakia city center near the Jules Jammal school, which holds historic and national significance.

The school was established in the early 1920s and it helped shape national awareness in the country. It was the launch point for student protests and an arena for electoral tensions between the Baath party, Muslim Brotherhood and Syrian nationalists.

It was shut during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, leaving it in neglect despite its significance to the people.

Sharaa deliberately chose to greet the people near the school to underscore Latakia’s national role that was usurped by the Assad regime.

In Aleppo on Saturday, Sharaa attended an open dialogue discussion with several social and economic figures from the city and its countryside.

He listened to their proposals and demands, with sources saying that the talks focused on the state of affairs in Syria and efforts to revive it after the war and regime ouster.

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Latakia. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)

Sharaa stressed Aleppo’s economic significance and role in the industry sector.

He underlined his confidence that Syria will rise again thanks to its people, telling the crowd that the interim government is focusing on setting plans for 2025 and 2026.

The sources said Sharaa sought to assure the people, emphasizing that “everyone was under the law” and that Syria is not a sectarian state.

He urged them to trust him in tackling the issues at hand, reiterating that he was walking the “very fine line between transitional justice and civil peace.”

Sharaa also visited Afrin city in Aleppo which is predominantly Kurdish.

He assured that Syrian Kurds were part of the Syrian population.

He visited refugee camps in the northwest, stressing that returning the displaced home was a government priority.

Sharaa’s tour is taking place amid preparations for the national conference in Homs. Consultations have already gotten underway for the meeting.