Damascus, Syria – Syria’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on Sunday that it has signed a new cooperation agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide urgent support for farmers impacted by severe drought conditions across the country.
The agreement was signed in Damascus by Agriculture Minister Amjad Badr and WFP Country Director Marianne Ward, according to the state-run SANA news agency.
The deal aims to deliver targeted support to agricultural communities struggling with the immediate effects of drought, safeguard rural livelihoods, and boost the resilience of local communities.
The plan includes two integrated interventions, based on a needs assessment, covering around 33,000 farmers in multiple provinces.
According to SANA, the first part of the program will provide direct agricultural financial assistance for farmers in Hasakah, Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, and Daraa. This aid will be distributed over two to three agricultural cycles, depending on the severity of drought and the vulnerability of the affected households.
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The second part will deliver emergency food assistance to farmers in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, distributing monthly food rations from August through December to meet immediate food needs and offset crop losses.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Minister Amjad Badr highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation with UN agencies to help farmers survive and recover amid multiple crises, from prolonged drought to wildfires and damaged rural infrastructure.
For her part, Marianne Ward said that providing cash support gives farmers the flexibility to buy what they need most urgently and to invest in the coming planting seasons. She emphasized that this agreement is part of the WFP’s wider interventions in Syria, which include support for irrigation projects, initiatives to strengthen food security, and efforts to connect local produce with domestic and export markets.
The agricultural sector in Syria has faced severe challenges over the past decade due to conflict, climate shocks, and the collapse of rural services, leaving millions of Syrians at risk of food insecurity.
