Drought and conflict in Syria cut cereal production by over halfListen /
The combination of drought conditions and conflict in Syria has resulted in a significant drop in the production of wheat and barley, two of the country's most important food crops.
That's according to the latest report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
FAO Economist Monika Tothova says it is difficult to come up with precise figures because of limited reports about what's happening on the ground.
"The actual numbers differ from various institutions but, nevertheless, the numbers indicate a significant drop in the production. The FAO put the wheat production at 2014 at about two million tonnes and the barley production at about 350,000 tonnes which, put into perspective, is about 50 per cent below the average for the last ten years." (25")
FAO says poor weather conditions are exacerbating an already precarious food security situation brought on primarily by conflict and the resulting devastation of livelihoods.
More than 100,000 people have died in Syria and millions of others have been displaced within the country or forced to live as refugees in neighbouring countries.
Daniel Dickinson, United Nations