FAO Launches Second Phase of Local Resilience Project in Syria

ARK News.. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in cooperation with the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture, has launched the second phase of the “Building Local Resilience in Syria” (BLRS) project.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the new phase aims to support 144,000 households across seven Syrian governorates — Homs, Aleppo, Idlib, Deir Ez-Zour, Rural Damascus, Latakia, and Hama — through March 2028.

The program will provide a range of agricultural inputs, including fodder, fertilizers, and seeds, to improve both crop and livestock production. It will also rehabilitate irrigation networks, enhance water resources, and support various income-generating projects and activities — such as the “Nabta” initiative — while delivering guidance to mitigate environmental damage and empower women within their communities.

Syrian Agriculture Minister Amjad Badr described the second phase as “a crucial step in building farmers’ capacities and enabling them to face the challenges that have impacted Syria’s agriculture, particularly the drought wave that has affected agricultural seasons.”

FAO’s resident representative in Damascus, Tony al-Atal, noted that Syria’s agricultural sector has suffered significant damage in recent years, undermining productivity and farmers’ livelihoods. He stressed the need for collective efforts to restore the sector, implement projects that strengthen local resilience, improve farmers’ incomes, and boost domestic productivity.

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