The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, said more than 13.4 million Syrians face high levels of food insecurity, while 30% of households are struggling to secure their daily needs.
FAO Acting Representative Pirro Tomaso Perri said on Wednesday, June 24, that the food security situation in Syria remains extremely serious.
Perri added during a speech at the Syria Mine Action Partners Conference 2026 that severe drought during the 2024-2025 season led to a decline of about 60% in wheat production, causing an estimated deficit of 2.7 million tons. He also said livestock numbers fell by 40 to 50%, while FAO warned that explosive ordnance still poses a direct threat to the lives of people in rural areas and obstructs the recovery of agricultural activity, as the organization recorded 1,299 ordnance-related incidents that resulted in 2,325 casualties.
FAO stressed that the emergency agricultural response remains underfunded, as the organization had secured only 16% of the required needs as of 2025. FAO launched an Emergency and Resilience Plan for 2026-2028, targeting support for 9.8 million people with required funding of $286 million, to enable Syrian farmers to restore their livelihoods and build a safer, more sustainable future.
The Syria Mine Action Stakeholders Conference opened on June 22 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the participation of a Syrian government delegation, international partners, and donors, in a step aimed at coordinating efforts related to mine action and unexploded ordnance, which remain among the country’s most prominent humanitarian and security challenges. The Syrian delegation at the conference included representatives from the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and Agriculture, in addition to specialists, administrators, and technical staff from the Syrian National Mine Action Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management. The conference continues until June 24.
Syria Among Hunger Hotspots
A joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Programme listed Syria among 13 countries classified as hunger hotspots worldwide, warning that food insecurity levels may worsen between June and November 2026.
The report is part of a series of periodic assessments monitoring acute food insecurity in some of the most affected countries, based on data related to armed conflicts, economic pressures, climate change, and the level of humanitarian funding available to respond to food crises.
The report said armed conflicts and violence remain the main drivers of food crises in 12 of the 13 countries on the list, including Syria, alongside other factors such as deteriorating economic conditions, declining agricultural production, and the impact of climate change on food resources.
It noted that the persistence of these factors is worsening food insecurity levels, especially in areas suffering from prolonged crises and weak economic and service infrastructure.
Syria’s inclusion on the list comes amid the continuing repercussions of years of conflict, which have directly affected food security levels, while multiple factors overlap, including declining purchasing power, difficulties in agricultural production, and uneven access to humanitarian aid between areas.