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Outside the countryside by central Syria, wheat fields should be lush and full with crops.

However, a local farmer's land remains dry, yielding only a fraction of its typical yield.

"Recently has been devastating due to the drought," explained the experienced grower.

The acres yielded just 190kg per plot—far below the expected quantity harvested in a good year.

"{We haven't recovered what we invested; we've faced losses. I can't afford next season's operations," he added.

With two young family members to support, he is seeking funds from kin to survive.

National Situation

This plight is echoed throughout the nation, where the gravest dry period in many years has cut crop yields by a significant portion.

A estimated wheat shortfall of 2.73 million tonnes is expected this season—equivalent to the annual dietary needs of millions of people.

Increasing Hunger

Lacking additional assistance or the means to bring in grains, the condition may deteriorate severely.

Approximately millions of Syrians—around six in ten the population—already face difficulties to meet their nutritional needs.

Of these, over nine million experience acute hunger, including over a million in extreme conditions.

Rainfall has fallen by almost seventy percent, devastating three-quarters of rain-fed agricultural land.

"This means the difference between families being able to stay in their villages or having to move," commented an expert.

Daily Hardships

Agricultural households are offloading livestock to supplement lost earnings, cutting back their food intake.

Malnutrition rates among minors and women are rising.

Grain is a staple crop in Syria, the main ingredient in loaves and pasta—cheap items that are now rising in value.

In the case of Sanaa Mahamid who is 39, buying staples has become very difficult.

Having several children, she counts on her older sons' income, which are not basic needs.

"At times we need to get money just to purchase food," she said.

Previously, a portion of flatbread cost 500 money, but now it is 4,500.

For her family, it takes multiple portions a daily—a financial burden of nine thousand pounds, before other food.

Official and Foreign Efforts

This emergency poses a serious obstacle for the administration, which is working to reconstruct the country after years of conflict.

Support agencies are providing financial help for those most vulnerable, but experts warn that these are stopgap fixes.

"The goal is to help farmers in the farming sector," commented a official.

Monetary payments have been given to small farmers who suffered their entire harvest.

Yet, after a long time of conflict, Syria's agrarian sector was already impacted by economic crisis, damaged irrigation systems, and unsafe fields.

Water Problem

Within key agricultural zones, crop land must have several irrigation cycles per growing period, but because of absence of rainfall, the majority of growers find it impossible to sustain.

"A farmer's main challenge is finding irrigation," explained a local agriculture director.

Irrigation requires energy, and fuel prices have increased sharply, hitting eleven thousand to 12,000 pounds per litre.

Soaring fuel costs and ongoing power cuts have rendered water pumps out of reach for numerous farmers.

Sustainable Solutions

A goal for the government is developing water projects—including solar-powered drip systems—to provide water more available.

Yet those plans take long-term investment and resources—options that wheat farmers do not have right now.

Therefore, for countless people around the country, there is just one option to count on in the upcoming period: wait for rainfall.