Syria’s Worst Drought Destroys Crops in Al-Nashabiyah

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Reuters

Syria is facing its worst drought in many decades, and the effects are heartbreaking—especially in the farming area of Al-Nashabiyah, which lies east of the capital, Damascus. The lack of rain and falling water levels are making it very hard for farmers to grow anything.

Water reserves are now more than 60% lower than usual. In March, dam levels were much lower compared to the last two years. Some places in the region have lost over 70% of their groundwater. This means the water that usually comes from underground is almost gone.

One farmer, Mati Mohammed Nasser, is expecting to lose all his crops this year. He usually grows wheat, pears, plums, and other fruits and vegetables. Every year, he used to pick nearly 200 kilograms of pears from trees he grew from small seedlings. But this year, those trees have died. Sadly, instead of picking fruit, he will have to cut them down and use them as firewood.

Mati tried to find water by digging a deep well, which cost him nearly $2,000. But when he finished digging, the water level was only a few centimeters deep—far too little to use for his crops. "What can we do with just a few drops?" he asked. "We’ve lost all hope. We sold everything we owned and spent it all on the land.”

Another farmer, Mahmoud Al-Hobeish, who is also the deputy mayor of Al-Nashabiyah, is struggling too. He is now $4,000 in debt. “People keep asking me to pay back the money I owe, but they also know I can’t. I simply don’t have it,” he said.

This drought is not just about dry land—it is about lost dreams, empty fields, and families who don’t know how they will survive the coming months.