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Food Security in Near East and North Africa (NENA) Region:
An Overview
ESCWA-IFPRI-FAO CFS Side Event
Building Resilience to the Crises in the Arab World
October 17, 2014, Rome
Mohamed Aw-DahirRegional Food Systems Economist
FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa
• 19 countries with common cultural heritage;
• Vastly different in their levels of development and resource endowments;
• Wealthy but food-deficit countries; poor countries with high potential for food production;
• Agriculture sector contributes 10% of regional GDP and employs 21% of the population.
The NENA Region
Some key facts
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14% of the population lives below the US$2 per day poverty line;
Overall number of undernourished in the region doubled to 33 million in 2014-from 16 million in 1990-1992 (SOFI 2014).
However Algeria, Morocco, Jordan and Kuwait have met target of MDG1 (1/2 extreme poverty hunger & malnutrition)
Food losses/waste : estimated 20% food supplies lostalong Food Chain
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• Large and growing population: 6% of the world population, with 2.2 percent annual growth rate (one the highest in the world) pushing the demand for food upwards
• About 220 million more people by 2050 and more urban population with different consumption patterns.
• Fragile and limited natural resource base, declining water availability;
• Shrinking natural forest ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, degradation of soil quality and desertification.
• Heavy dependence on food imports.
• Increased level of food insecurity; Conflict is a major factor
The NENA Region – Some Major Challenges
Past and Projected Population NENA (thousands persons)
Population Growth Rates (%)
Population (%) Younger than 15 years
Cereal Demand vs. Projected Production
Source: Adapted from IFPRI, 2008
Regional Instability
Conflict and civil insecurity _____ The main drivers of food insecurity in the region
• The highest number of active conflicts and political instability:
• Some of the longest protracted conflict: Palestine, Somalia, Iraq …
• Largest human displacement, refugees
• Almost all types of conflicts:
– Socio-Economic
– Natural Resources
– Political
– Ethnic/`tribal
– Sectarian,
– other
Food Security versus Conflicts Worsening of FS in Near East caused :
Conflict complicates the structural constraints in foodproduction and increased dependence on imports
Conflict leads to more population migration, IDPs, andrefugees in Region;
Clear correlation between Peace/stability and Food security;and between Hunger and Conflict
Peace is fundamental to food security and food security isfundamental for keeping peace;
Dispute for food and over resources such as land and
water have triggered conflict
Implications on Food Security
Sample Realities of Conflicts, Civil insecurity, and food insecurity
• Syria: Over 6 million IDPs and 3 million refugees in 5 countries (Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt)
• Iraq: Over 2. 8 million IDPs (due to the recent conflict) and 1.5 million refugees
• Sudan: 2.9 million IDPs nationwide, of which 2.2 million are in Darfur; 4.8 million food insecure (recent IPC analysis)
• Yemen: Over 10 million food insecure, IDPs, one of the highest malnutrition levels in the world
• Palestine: 1.8 million in need of assistance
Realities that will likely stay for sometime
FAO: Building Resilience for Enhanced Food Security and Nutrition
FAO Regional Initiative: Building Resilience for Enhanced Food Security and Nutrition
1) Strengthening of capacities for developing coherent policy frameworks and investment programme for sustainable food security and nutrition : Case: Sudan, Yemen
2) Developing efficient evidence-based food security informationsystems for decision support systems; Case: Yemen, Sudan, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon;
3) Promoting the development of efficient and sustainable food systems with specific attention to reducing food losses and waste; Case: Regional Food Loss Initiative
FAO Regional Initiative cont…
Promoting sustainable access of households to safe, nutritious and diversified food; Case: Egypt
Building the resilience of households and communities and agro-eco systems to anticipate, absorb and recover from the negative impacts of the man-made and natural shocks with Cash-for-Work and Food Production Assistance Programs:Case: Syria, Iraq
Thank you
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CountryNumber of the Food Insecure
Additional Information
Yemen >10,000,00046% of the total population with 24% of the populationunder emergency while 22% are in crisis phase.
Sudan 7,000,000Highest levels of food security occurring in conflict areas:Darfur, and in parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states
Syria > 9,000,000With the ongoing and deepening crisis, the figure mightincrease over the coming months
Mauritania 1,200,000Hunger prevalent in 7% of the total population with ruralpopulations being the mostly poor and food insecure;Hosts large number of refugees from Mali
Palestine 1,800,000Almost the entire population in Gaza are in need ofassistance due to the impact of the recent conflict
Iraq > 4,000,000High number of the population already food insecure and22% (6.4 Million people) of Iraqi Hh are consideredvulnerable.
Lebanon 336,000 8% of total population food insecure with disparitieswithin governoratesThe total number of food insecure in the region could bemuch higher
Estimate of Food Insecure Population