Syria has endured a series of severe droughts over the past decade, driven by climate change, years of conflict, and poor water management practices. These conditions have sharply reduced agricultural production, increased food insecurity, and forced the displacement of many families across the country.
In response to the growing crisis, the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, in cooperation with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), held a major workshop at the Sheraton Hotel in Damascus titled “Mitigating the Impacts of Drought Disaster.” The event aimed to develop a joint action plan to address both immediate and medium-term drought challenges.
National Coordination and Urgent Response
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh said in his opening remarks that Syria is experiencing the worst drought in over 36 years. He called for unified national efforts to confront the crisis.
“Our national and moral duty requires us to face this challenge in a coordinated and organized way,” Saleh said. “This workshop must serve as a platform for aligning our efforts and formulating a comprehensive and realistic national response.”
FAO Highlights the Scale of Agricultural Decline
In an interview with Levant24, Piero Tommaso Peri, FAO program officer, said that Syria’s wheat production has fallen to 2.7 million tons this year due to the combined effects of war and severe drought. He added that more than 60% of the population now faces food insecurity, largely as a result of reduced imports and the lack of infrastructure to utilize water from the Euphrates River.
Peri emphasized that agriculture remains “the backbone of Syrian society,” noting that about half of the population depends on agriculture as their main source of income. He also pointed out that 73% of Syrian returnees have expressed a desire to work in the agricultural sector, viewing it as a path toward recovery and stability.
Call for Early Warning Systems and Unified Planning
Peri described the current drought as a “dangerous challenge” requiring urgent, coordinated action. He stressed the importance of developing early warning systems and implementing preventive measures to anticipate and reduce the impact of future droughts.
He also highlighted ongoing efforts between the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management and international partners—including WFP, UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO—to establish a single, unified national plan for drought response.
