Syrian Civil War Devastating Farmland

Explosions not good for the crops

Syria's civil war has ravaged vital infrastructure and halved output of staple crops, the United Nations said on Wednesday, as a 22-month conflict hardened by sectarian rivalry showed no sign of abating.

What began as a peaceful protest movement against President Bashar al-Assad has killed more than 60,000 people, devastated the economy and left 2.5 million people hungry.

Prospects of a negotiated peace have receded as the war becomes more overtly sectarian, making Western powers more wary of supporting the largely Sunni Muslim - and increasingly radicalized - rebellion.