UN urges assistance for drought-ravaged Syria

Posted Sat Oct 4, 2008 4:14pm AEST

The United Nations has appealed for help for Syria, which it says is experiencing its worst drought for 40 years.

The Syrian Government estimates that one million people are being affected.

The drought is ravaging not only farm land, but also the wider economy, raising imports and undermining key export industries.

A major producer of wheat, Syria this year turned to the international wheat market for the first time in over 15 years to compensate for one of its smallest harvests on record.

The United Nations wants to raise $20 million to ease the situation.

It says while the Government has lent herders' feed for their livestock and distributed free medicines and vaccines, the need is so great that measures taken so far are simply not enough.

- BBC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/04/2382185.htm?section=world