FAO Regional Office for Near East and North Africa

News

News

Join us as we kick off celebrations early to build an unforgettable anniversary. Through engagements and public events, we mark the occasion by planning events throughout the year, showcasing actions and best practices that promote a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food future.

15/07/2025

Africa and Asia can learn from each other to use innovation and national product branding to transform agrifood systems, improving food, nutrition and livelihood security, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) told an Africa-Asia ministerial meeting here today.

08/07/2025
The first cohort of Youth Action Leadership for Agrifood Awareness and Systems Transformation (YALAFAST) wrapped up this week in Rabat, marking a milestone moment for youth engagement in sustainable agrifood systems across the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region.
08/07/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) successfully concluded the LAC–NENA Family Farming Interregional Dialogue, held in Cairo on 7–8 July 2025. The two-day event brought together participants from the Near East and North Africa (NENA) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to exchange experiences, build partnerships, and promote policy solutions that strengthen family farming systems.
07/07/2025
Under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq marked a major step toward safeguarding its agricultural heritage and enhancing its food security with the laying of the foundation stone for the first-ever Gene/Seed Bank in the Region. 
01/07/2025

Rome - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced the winners of the 2025 FAO Awards, recognizing organizations from Colombia, Egypt, and the Phili...

01/07/2025
With the ongoing crisis having decimated the Gaza Strip’s agrifood sector, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently supported 200 farmers in Rafah and Khan Younis to optimize the use of land that is still available to grow critically needed staple crops.
30/06/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched a large-scale emergency seed distribution campaign targeting 1.5 million farming households – or approximately 7.5 million people – across 17 out of Sudan’s 18 states.
30/06/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with regional partners, today launched the first cohort of the Youth Action Leadership for Agrifood Awareness and Systems Transformation (YALA FAST) programme in Rabat, Morocco. This is under the FAO’s Regional Leadership Development Academy (RLA). Held from 30 June to 3 July 2025, this first-of-its-kind initiative aims to cultivate the young leaders in agrifood systems of the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region.
28/06/2025
The Sultanate of Oman and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have formalized a groundbreaking partnership with the signing of a Host Country Agreement to establish permanent FAO representation in Oman, marking a new chapter in regional food security cooperation.
26/06/2025

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a successful regional webinar to introduce and promote the Event Mobile Application (EMA-i+), an innovative tool designed to enhance real-time animal disease reporting across the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region...

22/06/2025

The food security situation in the Government-controlled areas of southern Yemen is dire, with nearly half of the population acutely food insecure and struggling to find their next meal. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF have warned that the food insecurity crisis is likely to worsen in the months ahead. 

17/06/2025

On Desertification and Drought Day (DDD) 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is calling attention to the urgent need for strategic investment in land restoration to address the mounting environmental and socio-economic challenges in the Near East and North A...

17/06/2025
 A new study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has revealed concerning levels of agricultural land degradation, particularly in the Arab region, where more than 46 million hectares of agricultural land—two-thirds of the 70 million hectares affected by human-induced degradation—are at risk.  Published in the MDPI journal Agriculture, the study stresses the urgent need to restore degraded lands and improve food security.
15/06/2025

RAMALLAH –  As part of efforts to promote the agrifood sector’s resilience amid the emergency situation in the West Bank, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture recently convened more than 35 experts for a national workshop on sustainable agricultural production and responsible consumption.

13/06/2025

Under the patronage and in the presence of Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani, and with the participation of WFP Representative and Country Director in Lebanon Mr. Matthew Hollingworth, Acting FAO Representative in Lebanon Ms. Veronica Quattrola and a number of experts and officia...

10/06/2025

On 12 May 2025, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted a regional webinar on “Exploring FAO’s Food Loss Application (FLAPP): Challenges and opportunities for tackling food loss in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region.” The event brought together experts, partners, and stakeholders from across the region to explore how digital innovation can drive evidence-based action on food loss.

05/06/2025

Interpretation available in all six FAO official languages, All colleagues are welcome to attend in-person (Green room) The Grand Opening can also be followed via webcast (Monday 3 June 9:00 to 12:00 CEST)

02/06/2025

In a landmark move to address interconnected health threats, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) have joined forces to advance the One He...

31/05/2025

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) participated in the Emirates Agriculture Conference and Exhibition 2025, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Al Ain from 28 to 31 May 2025. The event, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, aims to strengthen the United Arab Emirates’ agricultural sector and advance sustainable food security.

29/05/2025
The Near East Network on Forest Health and Invasive Species (NENFHIS) convened its first focal point meeting of 2025 through a virtual webinar, drawing participants from across the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region to discuss the growing threats to forest health and the urgent need for coordinated regional action.
Contact
Mohamed Alaidaroos
Regional Communication Officer
Tel: +20 2 3331 6000