FAO warns of deteriorating food security situation in Syria

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned Saturday that drought conditions combined with continued conflict are adding pressure to the dire food security situation in the Syria. The FAO released its latest food security outlook for Syria saying that the total area planting wheat and barley, Syria’s most important food crop, have declined 15% in the last year and 52% compared to the 2001-2011 period. The brief shows that rainfall picked up in March and early April as winter crops reached maturity, but an exceptionally dry January-February period had already affected crops in the crucial establishment and growth phases. The situation in Quonaitra, Al-Ghab, Tartus, Lattakia, and Idleb remain at drought “warning” phase, with cumulative rains below 50 percent of the seasonal average. The changing weather conditions, coupled with the impact of the conflict, are expected to increase the gap between local production and domestic food requirements this year, the organization said. This gap could increase price inflation and lead to a growth in unemployment. Food shortages have already pushed up import requirements. Prices for cereals and other foods climbed by 108% in November 2013 year-on-year.