Near East and North Africa regional overview of food insecurity 2016: sustainable agriculture water management is key to ending hunger and to climate change adaptation

The Regional Overview of Food Insecurity provide an overview of key trends in food security and nutrition across FAO's five official regions. Most countries in the Near East and North Africa region enjoyed a steady improvement in their food security and nutrition situation up to the beginning of the decade. Food production was rising and the prevalence of undernourishment and poverty was receding as well as the prevalence of stunting and anaemia. The situation has, however, sharply deteriorated since 2012. Not only the prevalence of undernourishment, but even the numbers of undernourished have increased. The deterioration is largely driven by the spreading and intensity of conflicts and protracted crises. The Syria crisis in particular has deepened during the period 2015-2016, leaving more than half of the population in need of food assistance and 4.8 million refugees, mostly in neighbouring countries. Water scarcity and climate change are also fundamental challenges. The report underlines the urgency to develop and implement strategies for adaptation and sustainable management of resources. It documents several positive experiences and highlights the importance of accelerating investments to improve water efficiency and water productivity as well as the need for a shift towards crops that consume less water.