Programme Overview

Building Local Resilience in Syria (BLRS)

Syria has faced over a decade of conflict, resulting in widespread destruction, economic hardship, and a sharp decline in living standards. The BLRS programme is responding to these challenges by tackling food insecurity and gender-based violence through a range of resilience-building interventions.

About BLRS BLRS in action BLRS in numbers Learning & Evaluation

The BLRS programme: a path to resilience

In response to Syria’s ongoing crises, the BLRS programme provides sustainable solutions to food insecurity by addressing its root causes through integrated, resilience-building interventions. Furthermore, the programme addresses violence against women and girls (VAWG) through pilot interventions designed to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV). The programme is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Phase one, which ran until the end of March 2026, was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Syria Resilience Initiative (SRI). Phase two, which began on 1 April 2026, is being implemented by FAO and CARE International.

BLRS programme in a nutshell

WHEN?

Start: 1 April 2022 End: 31 March 2028

WHERE?

Across most regions of Syria: Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh, Deir ez-Zor, Hama, Homs, Idlib, Latakia and Rural Damascus.

WHO?

Approximately 115,000 Syrians reached every year, with focus on women, young people and those with disabilities.

WHAT?

Crop farming; Livestock production & health; Capacity building; Irrigation, water & energy; SME & value chains; Women empowerment

HOW?

See the theory of change and interactive map below!

How BLRS is driving meaningful change

SPACE

Below is an overarching theory of change for BLRS (excluding policy), illustrating how the various food security and livelihood interventions can lead to improved outcomes and impacts. To find out more about these interventions, take a look at BLRS in numbers.

Food Security Brief — BLRS interventions and their pathway to food security and resilience

BLRS in numbers

During the 2024-25 project year (April 2024 to March 2025), the BLRS programme supported over 115,000 Syrians (unique beneficiaries) through six key intervention groups: crop farming, livestock production and health, capacity building, irrigation, water and energy, SME and value chains, and women empowerment. Below are a few examples of these interventions:

31,335

Syrians gained reliable access to water through the restoration of irrigation and drainage.

43,702

Farmers and breeders supported through the provision of livestock production and health inputs, including artificial insemination, animal health services, and dairy processing.

12,792

Beneficiaries supported with crop farming assistance, including agricultural inputs, nurseries, summer vegetable support, forage crop inputs, and financial assistance.

⬇ The interactive map below provides detailed information about the specific types of activities and interventions implemented by the partners, as well as the number of beneficiaries reached so far. Use the drop-down menu on the left to explore the different categories. 2025 figures currently include FAO data only, SRI data will be added soon.

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Learning & Evaluation

ISDC is studying how and to what extent the BLRS programme improves the resilience of Syria’s local agri-food systems. Through the use of rigorous quantitative approaches, including experimental and quasi-experimental study design, ISDC assesses the impact of various BLRS activities on crop & livestock production, livelihoods and economic well-being, food security & resilience, as well as on women empowerment.

Reports

Explore ISDC’s impact evaluations and evidence briefs, which present rigorous findings on how BLRS activities affect agricultural production, livelihoods, food security and gender-based violence in Syria.

Impact report

Impact evaluation of combining women’s economic support and the Indashyikirwa couple’s curriculum to mitigate Intimate Partner Violence in Syria

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Impact report

Impact evaluation of the Economic and Social Empowerment (EA$E) programme to improve spousal relationships and mitigate intimate partner violence in Syria

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Evidence brief

Can economic and social support mitigate intimate partner violence, challenge harmful gender attitudes, and improve household welfare in Syria?

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Impact report

Building Local Resilience in Syria (BLRS) – Short-term Impacts of FAO’s Agricultural Support under BLRS phase 1

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Thematic briefs

These short briefs pull together key insights and lessons from the BLRS programme on specific topics, giving a quick overview of what works for building resilience in Syria.