Drought-hit Syrian farmers hope sanctions reprieve will restore agriculture

A view shows a farmland being irrigated as Syria experiences low rainfall, in Aleppo countryside, Syria, May 8, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

ALEPPO (Reuters) -Severe drought in Syria this year could lead to the failure of an estimated 75% of local wheat crops, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, threatening the food security of millions of people.

Toni Ettel, the FAO's representative in Syria, told Reuters the agency anticipated a "food shortage of 2.7 million tonnes of wheat for this year, which is sufficient to feed 16.3 million people over one year."