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."
Under former President Bashar al-Assad, Damascus depended on wheat imports from Russia to support a bread subsidy programme during past droughts.
Wheat farmers like Asaad Ezzeldin, 45, have seen their crops fail due to the drought. It has further strained Syria's beleaguered agricultural sector that suffered from fighting and heavy bombardment during 13 years of civil war.
"Agriculture in Aleppo's northern countryside has been hit because of the lack of irrigation. There is no rainfall," he said.
Moscow, a staunch ally of Assad, suspended wheat supplies to Syria soon after Islamist rebels toppled him, citing uncertainties about the country's new authorities.
In a surprise announcement last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would order the lifting of all sanctions on Syria. Washington is likely to begin providing some sanctions relief in the coming weeks.
The flow of funds could revive the agriculture sector, providing much-needed technologies for irrigation and infrastructure renewal, Ettel said.
Unable to buy wheat and fuel, Syria's new government had lobbied for a lifting of the sanctions that for years isolated the Syrian economy and made it dependent on Russia and Iran.
Syria's agriculture ministry did not reply to a request for comment.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday she hoped ministers would reach an agreement on lifting EU economic sanctions on Syria. The EU has already eased sanctions related to energy, transport and reconstruction, and associated financial transactions, but some argued this was not enough to support its political transition and economic recovery.
(Reporting by Kinda Makieh, Mahmoud Hassano, Firas Makdesi; Writing by Nayera Abdallah; Editing Alexandra Hudson)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
French rabbi tells of two attacks in one week as hate crimes rise
PARIS (Reuters) - A French rabbi was attacked on Friday for the second time in a week, he told Reuters, reflecting a broad rise in hate crimes across France that has included high-profile anti-Semitic assaults. Elie Lemmel said he was sitting at a cafe in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine on Friday when he was hit in the head by a chair. "I found myself on the ground, I immediately felt blood flowing," he said. He was stunned and unsure what exactly had happened, he said, initially thinking something must have fallen from a window or roof, before it occurred to him he had been attacked. "Unfortunately, given my beard and my kippah, I suspected that was probably why, and it's such a shame," he said. Friday's incident follows another in the town of Deauville in Normandy last week, when Lemmel said he was punched in the stomach by an unknown assailant. Lemmel said he was used to "not-so-friendly looks, some unpleasant words, people passing by, spitting on the ground," but had never been physically assaulted before the two attacks. The prosecutor's office in Nanterre said it had opened an investigation into the Neuilly attack for aggravated violence and that a person was being held for questioning. It said it could not provide further details. "This act sickens us," former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on X regarding Friday's incident involving Lemmel. "Antisemitism, like all forms of hatred, is a deadly poison for our society." Last week, five Jewish institutions were sprayed with green paint in Paris. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the anti-Semitic attack that targeted a rabbi in Neuilly today. Attacking a person because of their faith is a shame. The increase in anti-religious acts requires the mobilization of everyone," Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said in a post on X. France has seen a rise in hate crimes. Last year, police recorded an 11% rise in racist, xenophobic or antireligious crimes, according to official data published in March. The figures did not include a breakdown by attacks on different religions. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter, Antony Paone, Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
X plays up blue checkmark disclaimer to stave off possible EU fine, source says
The new logo of Twitter is seen in this illustration taken, July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Elon Musk's social media company X has highlighted a disclaimer to its blue checkmark in an attempt to head off a possible hefty fine from EU antitrust regulators, a person familiar with the matter said. The European Commission in July last year charged X with deceiving users, saying that the blue checkmark does not correspond to industry practices and that anyone can pay to get a "verified" status. The blue checkmark had previously indicated that an account belonged to a public figure whose identity was verified but Musk changed it to indicate it belonged to a paid subscriber after acquiring X in 2022. X has not admitted wrongdoing and the prominent display of the blue checkmark disclaimer is not part of any settlement proposal with the EU tech enforcer, the person said. The prominent display started a week ago. The Commission said it took note of X's announcement. "Our investigation related to the blue checkmark is ongoing," a spokesperson said. X did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The EU probe is under the Digital Services Act which requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content or risk fines as much as 6% of their global annual revenue. Bloomberg was the first to report on the blue checkmark disclaimer. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by David Evans)
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
India vows to keep up development in Kashmir after tourist attack
NEW DELHI: India is committed to efforts to develop its restive territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, accusing neighbour Pakistan of seeking to destroy livelihoods there with April's deadly attack on tourists. He was speaking on his first visit to the Himalayan region since Islamist attackers targeted Hindu tourists in the popular Pahalgam area, killing 26 men, triggering hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours that ended in ceasefire last month. 'The atmosphere of development that emerged in Jammu and Kashmir will not be hindered by the attack ... I will not let development stop here,' Modi said in remarks after inaugurating infrastructure projects. Key among these was a $5-billion rail link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India, which has been more than 40 years in the making and features the world's highest railway arch bridge. Others include highways, city roads and a new medical college. India has accused Pakistan of backing the April attack, a claim denied by Islamabad, and they engaged in four days of fierce fighting last month before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan aimed to disrupt the livelihoods of the poor in Kashmir, who rely heavily on tourism, Modi said, adding that he would face down any obstacle to regional development. Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Modi's remarks. Last month, Islamabad said a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential to ensure lasting peace in the region, known for its snow-topped mountains, scenic lakes, lush meadows, and tulip gardens. The region, which drew more than 3 million visitors last year, is at the heart of the hostility between the old foes, both of which claim it in full, but rule it in part and have fought two of their three wars over it. India also accuses Pakistan of supporting Islamist militants battling security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, but Islamabad denies the accusation. Trains run in the Kashmir Valley but the new link is its first to the wider Indian railway network. Apart from boosting the regional economy, it is expected to help revive tourism, which plummeted after the April attack. ($1=85.7500 Indian rupees)
