Drought

Since the earthquake devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 06, government-held areas have witnessed a 30-percent increase in the price of food and other essential commodities, further burdening ordinary Syrians reeling from the natural disaster, deteriorating living conditions, and an acute economic crisis. Meanwhile, the Syrian government has failed to respond adequately, sparking widespread criticism.

The Syrian government has seized the February 06 earthquake as an opportunity to call on Western governments to lift sanctions on Syria, claiming that they have severely impeded emergency response and humanitarian relief efforts to assist affected communities.

Syria’s wheat import bill stood at USD 552 million last year, according to a government official. A significant share of the supplies, which are overwhelmingly from Russia, appears to be stolen Ukrainian wheat.

As the cholera endemic continues unabated, the Ministry of Health recently received two million cholera vaccine doses – the first to reach the country since the outbreak was declared in September.

At the COP27 conference, the Syrian government predominantly blamed western sanctions, the opposition, and Israel for the challenges it faces in fighting climate change without taking responsibility for its role as a contributor to environmental harm. 

A UN expert recently published a controversial report on the impact of sanctions in Syria and called on sanctioning countries to lift unilateral sanctions against Syria.