Explosive legacy of war deepens Syria’s food crisis

GENEVA/DAMASCUS – More than 13 million Syrians are facing acute food insecurity and efforts to revive the country’s agriculture sector are being held back by landmines and unexploded ordnance scattered across vast stretches of farmland, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The warning highlights one of the most persistent challenges confronting Syria as it attempts to rebuild after nearly 14 years of conflict that devastated infrastructure, displaced millions and shattered the economy.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said around 13.4 million people, more than half Syria’s population, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, while rural communities remain trapped between economic hardship, climate pressures and the deadly legacy of war.

“Syria’s agriculture sector is at a pivotal moment,” FAO acting representative in Syria Pirro-Tomaso Perri told reporters in Geneva.

“After 14 years of conflict, recurrent droughts, economic hardship, damaged irrigation systems, weakened services, disrupted markets and widespread explosive ordnance contamination, rural livelihoods remain under severe pressure.”

While the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 raised hopes for broader reconstruction, large parts of the countryside remain dangerous for farmers and livestock breeders.

According to the FAO, 1,299 incidents involving explosive ordnance have been recorded since the end of 2024, causing 2,325 casualties. Agricultural land and grazing areas account for the majority of incidents.

The contamination has become a major obstacle to restoring domestic food production in a country that once relied heavily on agriculture for employment and exports.

“For many rural Syrians, cultivating land, grazing animals and harvesting crops can be life-threatening,” Perri said.

The agency argues that clearing farmland could have an immediate impact on food availability, livelihoods and the return of displaced populations by reopening access to productive land, water sources and local markets.

Years of conflict have compounded the effects of climate change and repeated droughts, leaving irrigation systems damaged and agricultural output severely reduced. Many rural households have exhausted savings and sold productive assets to survive.

FAO officials say demining efforts must be paired with investments in irrigation networks, seeds, animal feed and veterinary services if Syria is to reverse the decline in agricultural production.

With support from Japan, the FAO and the UN Mine Action Service are coordinating with Syrian authorities to identify priority areas where clearance operations could generate the biggest gains for food security and economic recovery.

Yet funding remains a major challenge.

The FAO’s Emergency Resilience Plan for Syria for 2026-2028 seeks to assist 9.8 million people but requires $286 million, at a time when humanitarian agencies face growing competition for donor support worldwide.

Without additional resources, the agency warned, many vulnerable rural families could miss critical planting and harvesting seasons, deepening dependence on aid and slowing prospects for recovery.

“Our pledge is to continue supporting Syrian farmers, herders and rural communities,” Perri said. “Agriculture can provide food security, restore livelihoods, support safe and dignified returns and help Syria move from emergency to sustainable recovery.”

For Syria, the challenge is not only rebuilding what the war destroyed, but making the land itself safe enough to farm again. As long as explosives remain buried beneath fields and pastureland, the country’s path from conflict to recovery will remain uncertain.