UN warns of famines in Mideast and North Africa
Undernourishment in conflict countries such as Libya, Iraq and Sudan is now six times larger than in nonconflict countries
Cairo — Food security in the Middle East and North Africa "is fast deteriorating" because of conflicts in countries from Syria to Yemen, the UN’s food agency said Thursday. Violence in nations that also include Libya, Iraq and Sudan are leading to "a widening gap in wellbeing" compared with other parts of the region, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a report. "The level of undernourishment in the conflict countries is now six times larger than that in nonconflict countries," it said. Yemen is suffering the worst food insecurity and malnutrition of all the conflict-hit countries in the region, followed by Syria and Sudan, it said. For more than two years, Yemen has been locked in a devastating civil war between the Saudi-backed government and Huthi rebels who swept into the capital in 2014.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.