Syria Faces a Dire Drought: Millions on the Brink of Crisis

Thu Sep 18 2025 08:29:36 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The entrenched drought in Syria, the worst in 36 years, threatens food security for millions, as crop yields plummet and poverty deepens across the nation.

In Syria, a relentless drought has decimated wheat production, leading to a severe food crisis. Farmers like Maher Haddad struggle with dramatically reduced harvests, compounded by economic challenges and reliance on costly imports. United Nations officials warn that without adequate aid or agricultural support, the food insecurity facing millions could escalate to unprecedented levels as the country grapples with the repercussions of years of conflict and environmental change.

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.

Mr Haddad's struggle is echoed across Syria, where the worst drought in 36 years has slashed wheat harvests by 40%, pushing a country where nearly 90% of the population already lives in poverty to the brink of a wider food crisis. The UN's FAO estimates Syria will face a wheat shortfall of 2.73 million tonnes this year, the equivalent of feeding 16.25 million people.

Warnings indicate that food insecurity could reach unprecedented levels by late 2025 into mid-2026, with over 14 million Syrians currently struggling to eat enough. As farmers sell livestock to manage lost incomes, malnutrition rates among children and pregnant women are rising dramatically.

With the cost of living spiraling, families are forced to borrow money just to buy bread. Amidst the challenges, aid officials and farming advocates emphasize the need for sustainable agricultural practices, irrigation projects, and urgent food aid to offer relief and stave off a deeper humanitarian crisis.