Drought could affect millions more

lite images, and with the smallest area planted with wheat in 15 years, output of the cereal is likely to be a record low of between 1.7 million and 2 million tons, as much as 29% less than last year and about half of pre-conflict levels, the WFP said.

Barley and livestock production are also being hit.

In addition to the worst drought since 2008, three years of civil war have ravaged infrastructure, leaving long-term damage to irrigation due to damaged pumps and canals, power failures and a lack of spare parts, the agency said.

This will have “long-lasting effects on Syria’s agricultural production” even after peace is restored, it said.

The threat posed by drought meant the number of Syrians in need of emergency rations could rise to 6.5 million, up from 4.2 million now, Byrs said.

The WFP, which reached a record 4.1 million people with rations in March, said on Monday that it had to cut the size of food parcels to hungry Syrians due to a shortage of funds from donors.

WFP, which feeds hungry people around the world, says the operation in Syria is its biggest and most complex, costing more than $40 million a week.

The funding figure includes the feeding of 1.5 million of the 2.6 million registered Syrian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries, mainly Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq.