The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have welcomed generous funding from the Government of Japan to support a joint initiative aimed at restoring agricultural livelihoods in conflict-affected regions of northwest Syria. The project focuses on improving food security and enabling safe access to farmland damaged by war and explosive hazards.
The initiative brings together mine clearance and agricultural recovery efforts in a coordinated approach. UNMAS will conduct surveys, remove landmines and unexploded ordnance, and provide risk education to ensure farmers can safely return to their land. FAO will identify priority agricultural areas and support rehabilitation efforts once land is cleared.
Following land clearance, FAO plans to assist around 1,500 farming households by providing essential agricultural inputs, technical support, and rehabilitation of irrigation systems such as wells and canals. This is intended to rebuild productive farming capacity and restore rural livelihoods that have been disrupted by years of conflict.
The project is part of Japan’s broader commitment to human security and resilience-building in crisis-affected regions. It aims not only to revive agriculture but also to reduce dependency on aid by enabling communities to return to self-sustaining livelihoods through safe land use and improved food production systems.
