Hunger in the Arab region continues to rise, with a 91.1 percent increase since 2000, says a new report launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The 2021 Near East and North Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition shows that the number of hungry people in the region reached 69 million people in 2020.  Such an increase was  triggered by protracted crises, social unrests and exposure to multiple shocks and stresses.  These include conflicts, poverty, inequality, climate change, scarce natural resources and the economic repercussions associated with the recent COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, nearly one third of the region’s population, accounting for 141 million people, experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2020, a more than 10 million increase from the previous year. This report launched in 2021 also sheds light on the interconnected and multiple causes behind hunger and malnutrition in the Arab region and calls for identifying policy trade-offs that could guide the region towards more inclusive, efficient, and resilient agri-food systems.

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