Fifth of Syrian population unable to produce enough food – FAO

PanARMENIAN.Net - Four million Syrians, a fifth of the population, are unable to produce or buy enough food, and farmers are short of the seed and fertilizers they need to plant their next crop, the United Nations said on Friday, July 5, according to Reuters.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said Syria's domestic wheat production over the next 12 months is likely to be severely compromised and that it will need to import 1.5 million metric tons of wheat for the 2013/14 season.

"There is a limited window of opportunity to ensure crisis-affected families do not lose vital sources of food and income," the two agencies said.

After more than two years of civil war that has killed more than 90,000 people, food shortages have escalated due to massive population displacement, disruption of agricultural production, unemployment, economic sanctions and high food and fuel prices.

FAO has launched an appeal for $41.7 million to assist 768,000 people and has so far received $3.3 million.

The two agencies said the funding must be secured by August to provide farmers with fertilizers and seeds to plant in October. Otherwise, the report said, many farmers will be unable to harvest wheat until mid-2015.