@fao rne threats to food security and livelihoods of people in Syria are severe and growing steadily

04 May 2016, Cairo /Amman – Six years into the conflict, the threats to food security and livelihoods of people in Syria are severe and growing steadily. Against a population of around 17 million, hunger now affects over half of the people remaining in Syria with 8.7 million people considered food insecure as the recent estimates show. A further 4.8 million Syrians are refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey as of April 2016, depending primarily on humanitarian aid and host communities to survive.

As part of the UN’s  Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) efforts to address the growing food security and livelihood needs in Syria and neighboring countries, FAO Regional Office for the Near and North Africa (NENA) region organized today a briefing in Amman, Jordan, hosted by Edward Kallon, UN Resident Coordinator for Jordan,  to present its two-year Sub-regional Strategy and Action Plan “Resilient Livelihoods for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition in Countries Affected by the Syria Crisis”. 

The meeting sought to enhance partnerships for joint action in addressing the impacts of the Syria crisis, as the challenges to food security, nutrition and agriculture-based livelihoods continue to rise in Syria and its neighboring countries.  The briefing, chaired by Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant - Director General and NENA Regional Representative, was delivered by FAO Representatives for Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey.

“With the continuation of the conflict, there is a risk that affected countries may become trapped in a pattern of protracted crisis and instability characterized by impaired agricultural production capability, food insecurity and malnutrition, continuing high levels of displacements and migration, economic growth reduction, loss of social capital and weakening of institutions” declared Ould Ahmed, in his opening remarks.

Syria Crisis and the impact on agriculture, food security and livelihoods

“Syria, once a food self-sufficient country, is the epicenter of a gigantic humanitarian, economic and social crisis with major spillover effects into the neighboring countries”, added Ould Ahmed.

The agriculture sector, which used to be one of the major pillars of the productive economy and a main source of employment in Syria, has been particularly impacted by the conflict. Already, Syria has lost close to half of its livestock and its crop production has plummeted. The violence has destroyed agricultural infrastructure, displaced farmers and disrupted regional food and agricultural input trade. 

At the same time, the crisis continues to affect the national economic and social balance in countries neighboring Syria.  The massive influx of refugees is exerting unprecedented pressure on host countries and communities, which are struggling to provide sufficient supplies and services to refugees, of whom the vast majority live outside of camps.

“The simple reality is that the productive sectors of the Syrian economy, including the agriculture sector, are collapsing at a fast pace. Unless we manage to slow down and, eventually, halt this process, we will continue to face increased displacements and refugee flows, food insecurity and poverty”, Ould Ahmed added.

FAO Sub-regional Strategy and Action Plan

“In a region that is fraught with multiple shocks and vulnerabilities, partial approaches limited to humanitarian assistance have proven insufficient to anticipate and address longer-term structural challenges” said Ould Ahmed.  “A viable strategy needs to prioritize resilience building by strengthening the capacity of systems and people, in the face of shocks, to absorb, adapt and transform, by combining both short-term humanitarian and longer-term sustainable development actions in the context of a broader SDG agenda”. He added.

In this context, FAO’s Sub regional Strategy and Action Plan “Resilient Livelihoods for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition in Countries Affected by the Syria Crisis through its resilience approach provides a framework for addressing, in a sustainable manner, multiform impacts of the Syria crisis on food security, nutrition and agro-eco systems, by combining emergency and development efforts.

A two-year Strategy and Action Plan, budgeted at USD 301.2 million, tailors short- and medium-term actions to address specific needs of the main groups affected by the crisis, including Syrian internally displaced persons (IDPs) and affected populations, refugees, returnees, host communities and national and local authorities.

Its priority areas for action focus on : (i) improved food security and nutrition through support to small crop and livestock production; (ii) promotion of sustainable livelihoods and employment opportunities; (iii) enhancement of sustainable use of natural resources; and (iv) capacity-building efforts and food security and agriculture sector needs analysis and coordination.

FAO’s work in Syria and neighboring countries

Despite enormous challenges, FAO continues to support farmers and rural communities in Syria, operating in 13 of the country's 14 governorates, including hard-to-reach areas in the north. In addition to saving livelihoods, FAO’s agricultural interventions increase local food availability, access and variety. Helping farmers to stay on their land and producing food is also critical to prevent further migration. Also, to ensure an evidence-based and coordinated response, FAO continues to monitor the impact of the crisis through regular food security data collection and analysis, undertakes assessments with partners, and coordinates humanitarian response in the Food Security and Agriculture Sector with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

In 2015 alone, thanks to generous support from its resource partners, FAO significantly stepped up its assistance in Syria reaching 1.5 million people.  Among the farming families who have received wheat and barley seeds, it is estimated that they will produce 119,000 tonnes of cereal this summer — enough to feed almost half a million people for a year. In addition, over 9 million animals also received veterinary care to reduce the risk of animal diseases and protect herds.

“Maintaining food production amidst conflict is critical. In Syria, where the agriculture sector has been fragmented by violence, support to small-scale family-level production is increasingly important” emphasized Eriko Hibi, FAO Representative for Syria. “ In addition to saving livelihoods though supporting household food production, agriculture-based interventions are also boosting incomes and reducing dependence on external aid. Agriculture was, and will remain, the main source of employment in Syria. It is essential in order to feed the country's population now, and it will be key to its future recovery" said Hibi.

At the same time, focus on enhanced livelihoods in the neighboring countries offers an opportunity for creating a win-win situation for Syrian refugees and host communities. Opportunities for innovative solutions have been identified for addressing long-term issues, including those relating to strengthening of agriculture value chains, rehabilitation of community agricultural infrastructure and management of scarce natural resources, in particular land and water

Despite the huge needs, the Plan of Action to respond to the ongoing humanitarian needs in Syria and the region, for a total of USD 301.2 million, remains largely underfunded, despite the generous contribution of many resource partners. FAO called today on resource partners to step up its funding targeted at helping farmers keep their lands in production to prevent the food insecurity from deteriorating even further.

Whilst FAO is committed to do its part, within its mandate and technical expertise”, said Ould Ahmed in his closing remarks,  “ a surge in support is needed together with concerted actions involving all the Governments, national stakeholders, resource partners, UN Agencies and NGOs”.

“Agriculture is a first point of entry for mitigating the impact of conflict on food insecurity, poverty, unemployment and economy” said Ould Ahmed.  “Producing and selling food, restoring food security at household level, generating rural incomes and employment, boosting social cohesion and strengthening institutions are key to the country’s socio-economic stabilization  and, ultimately, to peace building”  Ould Ahmed concluded.

Attending partners:
Representatives of resident missions in alphabetical order: Canada, European Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO),  France, Germany, Italy, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Netherlands, Qatar, Red Crescent, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America.