The Middle East

Abstract

This chapter begins with a broad outline of food insecurity in the Middle East and then turns to the central causes of hunger and malnutrition. Civil conflicts have caused enormous damage to food production, destroyed physical infrastructure, and forced millions of people to flee their homes. A number of other factors that contribute to hunger and malnutrition in the region are also identified in the first part of this chapter. The latter part of the chapter reviews multilateral efforts to meet the nutritional needs of poor communities. While the provision of emergency food aid to besieged populations in conflict zones and refugee camps currently constitutes the largest part of these efforts, UN agencies have also worked to promote agricultural and rural development, as well as preserve the land, water, and other natural resources needed for sustainable food production.