Syria Faces Dire Food Crisis Amid Catastrophic Drought

Wed Oct 22 2025 13:28:36 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The ongoing drought in Syria, the worst in decades, is pushing millions towards hunger and economic despair, with wheat harvests plummeting and food prices soaring.

Syria is grappling with the worst drought in over 36 years, severely impacting wheat production and pushing the nation to the brink of a food crisis. With nearly 90% of the population living in poverty, farmers like Maher Haddad are struggling to survive as yields drop by 40%. The United Nations warns of an impending hunger crisis, with substantial shortfalls in wheat affecting the daily lives of millions. As aid efforts ramp up, the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector remains a crucial concern.

The wheat fields outside Seqalbia, near the Syrian city of Hama, should be golden and heavy with grain.

Instead, Maher Haddad's 40 dunums (10 acres) are dry and empty, barely yielding a third of their usual harvest.

This year was disastrous due to drought, said the 46-year-old farmer, reflecting on the land that cost him more to sow than it gave back.

His fields delivered only 190kg (418 lbs) of wheat per dunum - far below the 400-500kg he relies on in a normal year.

With two teenage daughters to feed, he is now borrowing money from relatives to survive.

Mr Haddad's struggle is echoed across Syria, where the worst drought in 36 years has slashed wheat harvests by 40% and is pushing a country - where nearly 90% of the population already lives in poverty - to the brink of a wider food crisis.

A report from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates Syria will face a wheat shortfall of 2.73m tonnes this year, the equivalent of annual dietary needs for 16.25 million people.

Without more food aid or the ability to import wheat, Syria's hunger crisis is set to worsen dramatically, warned Piro Tomaso Perri, FAO's senior programme officer for Syria.

He noted that more than 14 million Syrians - six in 10 people - are already struggling to eat enough. Of those, 9.1 million face acute hunger, while 5.5 million risk sliding into crisis without urgent intervention.

Rainfall has dropped by nearly 70%, crippling 75% of Syria's rain-fed farmland.

Wheat is a staple crop in Syria, serving as the main ingredient for bread and pasta. With the lack of wheat supply, bread prices have skyrocketed.

For 39-year-old widow Sanaa Mahamid, affording bread has become a massive struggle. Prices have surged from 500 pounds to 4,500 pounds for a bag of bread, leading her to borrow money just to feed her family.

The crisis presents a challenge for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's administration to address the dire conditions following years of conflict.

International aid agencies are attempting to assist, but experts emphasize that the long-term stability of Syria's food security depends on the resilience of its farmers.

As millions await the coming months, the only option left may be to pray for rain.

Additional reporting by Lana Antaki in Damascus.