Syria's food situation will worsen in 2014: U.N. report

Four million Syrians, or a fifth of the population, are unable to produce or buy enough food for their needs and the situation could deteriorate further next year if the two-year old conflict continues, the United Nations said on Friday. Reuters reported.

Following a visit to Syria between May and June, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) said in a report that domestic production over the next twelve months is likely to be severely compromised.

The agencies estimated Syria would need to import 1.5 million metric tons (1 metric ton = 1.1023 tons) of wheat for the 2013/14 season. Wheat production has fallen to 2.4 million metric tons, some 40 percent less than the annual average harvest before the conflict of more than 4 million metric tons , they said according to Reuters.