Page 4 - Vol.38-No.1

HUNGER IN THE ARAB REGION

CONTINUES TO WORSEN
EDITORIAL
New report calls for radical changes to the Arab re- The coexistence of under and over-nutrition is a dou-
gion’s agrifood systems to deliver food security and nu- ble burden that many families, communities and coun-
trition for all tries in the Arab region have to shoulder, especially for
children under the age of five. The report says that in
The 2021 Near East and North Africa Regional Over-
view of Food Security and Nutrition released today shows 2020, 20.5 percent of children under the age of five are
that the number of hungry people in the region reached stunted and 7.8 percent are wasted in 2020.
69 million people in 2020, triggered by protracted cri- “Although there has been some progress in reducing
ses, social unrests and exposure to multiple shocks and child undernutrition in the past two decades it still re-
stresses such as conflicts, poverty, inequality, climate mains a source of concern for policymakers in the re-
change, scarce natural resources and the economic re- gion, particularly in low-income countries” Elwaer
percussions associated with the recent COVID-19 pan- highlighted. “Childhood overweight remains a high
demic. public health problem in the region, exceeding the
According to the report, nearly one third of the region’s global average of 5.7 percent and reaching 10.7 in our
population, accounting for 141 million people, expe- region,” he added.
rienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2020, a Elwaer stressed that the Arab region is not only strug-
more than 10 million increase from the previous year. gling with child malnutrition but also with adult obesity.
“Conflicts continue to be one of the leading causes of The prevalence of obesity among adults has been in-
hunger in the region, with approximately 53.4 million creasing steadily in the region since 2000, reaching 28.8
people facing hunger in countries and areas affected percent in 2020, which is more than double the global
by conflict, which is more than six times higher than in average of 13.1 percent and ranks the region as the third
non-conflict countries,” said Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO’s most obese in the world, following Northern America
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative with 36.7 percent, and Australia and New Zealand with
for the Near East and North Africa. 30.7 percent.
“There may be no visible improvement in the situation The building blocks towards a region
this year since hunger’s primary drivers will continue to
drag the situation further down the road,” Elwaer added. without hunger and malnutrition
Regional perspectives on The newly launched report sheds light on the intercon-
malnutrition in all its forms nected and multiple causes behind hunger and malnu-
trition in the Arab region and calls for identifying policy
The 2021 Near East and North Africa Regional Over- trade-offs that could guide us towards more inclusive,
view of Food Security and Nutrition warns that even be- efficient, and resilient agri-food systems.
fore the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arab region was not It also encourages laying out the foundations for sus-
on track to meet its goals for hunger and nutrition-re- tainable agri-food systems, from production to con-
lated SDG targets. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic sumption. Sustainable agri-food systems can deliver
hasn’t yet been fully reflected on nutrition indicators, food security and nutrition for everyone without com-
but the worsening food security situation suggests that promising the earth’s ability to continue producing for
more people are having trouble getting a healthy diet, future generations and provide year-round access to
which will influence their nutrition status adversely. adequate food and healthy diets for all people.

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