Syria's worst drought in 36 years has slashed wheat production, squeezing the country's cash-strapped government. The situation poses a challenge to President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose government is seeking to rebuild Syria after a 14-year civil war.

Qamishli

Syria is confronting a severe food crisis following its worst drought in 36 years, which has drastically reduced wheat production by about 40%. Farmers in the northeast, traditionally the country's breadbasket, report total crop failures, resulting in significant financial losses. The United Nations World Food Programme warns that around 3 million Syrians could face severe hunger, with over half the population already food insecure. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization estimates a wheat shortfall of approximately 3 million tons, enough to feed 16 million people for a year.

The crisis poses a major challenge for President Ahmed al-Sharar's new government, which is attempting to rebuild the country after years of civil war. Local wheat production now covers only a small fraction of demand, and imports since the change in leadership have been insufficient. The government has purchased about half the wheat from local farmers compared to the previous year and needs to import nearly 2.8 million tons to meet demand, but efforts to secure international support have been slow.

Historic drought, wheat shortage to test Syria's new leadership

Syria is facing a potential food crisis after suffering its worst drought in 36 years. Abbas Othman is a wheat farmer from Syria's breadbasket region in the northeast Hasakah province. He says he didn't harvest a single grain. This year we planted six hectares and we harvested nothing. The crops didn't grow and even the shepherds didn't benefit from the land. We incurred huge losses including farm wages, seeds and fertilizer. We lost all of these costs. The lack of rain slashed wheat production by around 40%. It puts the squeeze on Syria's cash-strapped government which has been unable to secure large-scale purchases. Around 3 million Syrians could face severe hunger, the United Nations World Food Programme told Reuters, without giving a time frame. While more than half of the 25.6 million population is currently food insecure, it added. In a June report, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that Syria faced a wheat shortfall of around 3 million US tons this year. That's enough to feed around 16 million people for a year. Internal trade official for the coastal Tartus and Latakia regions, Abdul Wahab al-Safar, says just 181,000 tons have been imported since the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. Local production does not cover more than 2-3% of local demand, especially after a year of drought that hit Syria. Never in Syria's history has there been a year like this one, and therefore it can't be relied upon, especially since the main food in Syria is bread. The situation poses a challenge to President Ahmed al-Sharar, whose government is seeking to rebuild Syria after its 14-year civil war. Wheat is Syria's most important crop and supports a state-subsidised bread programme, a vital part of everyday life. The new government has purchased about 412,000 tons of wheat from local farmers this season, a Syrian government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. That is around half of last year's volume. The government needs to import around 2.8 million tons this year, the source added. Yet Sharar's government has been slow to mobilise international support for big grain purchases.

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