Warnings of a “crushing” hunger crisis in Syria due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
”Human Rights Watch” warned in a report of the consequences on food security over the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in middle east states, especially Syria.
The Organization said: “Syria already suffers from a severe wheat shortage as a result of the economic crisis it goes through, and the massive destruction of infrastructure due to the war”, referring that Russia is considered the main supplier for wheat to the Assad regime.
It explained that the Assad regime has allowed the discriminatory distribution of bread, alongside corruption and restrictions on how much subsidized bread people can buy, which exacerbated the hungry crisis there.
It pointed out that “The Ukraine-Russia conflict is likely to exacerbate the current crisis in Syria, especially because the deal between Russia and Syria to import wheat was suspended.”
Human Rights Watch expected that Northwest and Northeast Syria are likely to face similar crisis that occurred in the Assad regime controlled-areas, including an inability to import sufficient amounts of wheat and rising prices. The authorities in Northwest Syria supply the region with wheat and flour procured through Turkey imports 90 percent of its wheat from Ukraine.
The organization called on governments in the Middle East to take immediate action to protect the basic right to food for peoples.
