Attachments
Context & Rationale
Syria remains one of the world’s most complex humanitarian crises, significantly affecting the production and supply of its staple food, bread. The combined and ongoing effects of the crisis have impacted wheat production, milling, and bread availability, posing a serious threat to food security and the overall well-being of the population. In addition to reduced wheat production, vital food security infrastructure—including bakeries, mills, and silos—has suffered extensive damage since the conflict began. Furthermore, supply chain disruptions, high levels of inflation and rising costs, and shortages have all presented acute challenges for wheat-to-bread market actors in securing adequate quantities of key inputs. Due to these combined factors, humanitarian actors have been supporting the wheat-tobread supply chain through the rehabilitation of infrastructure and provision of key inputs to ensure bread is available in communities throughout Northwest Syria (NWS).
This Situation Overview builds on previous studies carried out by iMMAP and was co-designed with the NWS Food Security and Livelihoods Working Group. It primarily aims to assess the number, operational status, and production levels of key wheat-to-bread facilities (i.e. bakeries, mills, and silos), as well as identify key challenges they are facing. The findings of this report and the corresponding datasets are intended to inform prioritization and planning decision-making by humanitarian actors active in bread and bakery support programming in NWS.
Key Messages
• Operational challenges in bread production: While most assessed bakeries, silos, and mills are operational or partially operational, they require urgent machinery upgrades and additional input support to enhance efficiency, extend working hours, and meet supply demands. Additionally, many KIs reported insufficient or lacking support from local authorities, particularly for operational costs and maintenance, further limiting production and contributing to higher bread prices or smaller bundle sizes.
• Declining wheat yields: In NWS, 58% of wheat farmers reported lower yields in 2023-2024, particularly in Idleb and Hama. The main cause, cited by 54% of KIs, was financial and market barriers limiting access to essential inputs, negatively impacting the overall production cycle. This decline threatens to reduce bread availability, drive up prices, and worsen food insecurity in NWS over the next year, as many farmers may be forced to cut back cultivation or stop wheat production altogether.
• Bread production output in relation to population needs: At the regional level, the combined output of assessed bakeries falls short of meeting population needs. The largest production gaps were recorded in Aleppo and Idleb governorates, with Dana sub-district in Idleb experiencing the greatest shortage relative to its population size. Additionally, 63% of KIs reported that people struggle to afford enough bread, highlighting uneven access and disruptions in the supply chain.