State of food and agriculture in the Near East and North Africa Region
The number of chronically undernourished people in the Region in 2010-13 reached 79.4 million, representing 11.2% of the population which was higher than in the 2008-2010 period. In addition, an estimated 31.0% of children under five are stunted. On the other side of the malnutrition spectrum, nearly one quarter of the population in the region is obese. In addition to the long standing structural constraints, conflicts and/or civil insecurity were the driving factors of food insecurity in the region in 2012-13. In response to the recommendation of the 31st Session of NERC, this document outlines a set of key actions at national, regional and international levels as essential elements of a regional food security strategy for the Near East and North Africa. Major observations on efforts to address food security and nutrition challenges across the region include: lack of appropriate coordination of the multisectoral aspects of food security and nutrition, and the weak focus on building long-term resilience in order to cope with the vulnerabilities to which countries in the region are exposed. The proposed set of actions will need to be implemented in a coordinated manner for building effective and resilient food security and nutrition institutions, markets and production systems.