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FAO: Hunger aggravates, 52 million people undernourished within Near East, North Africa
08.05.2019 17:11 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of now, hunger within the Near East and North Africa region (NENA) continues to rise as conflicts and protracted crises have spread and worsened since 2011, threatening the region efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Zero Hunger, FAO says referring to the FAO today report titled ‘Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition in the Near East and North Africa’.
As to the report, 52 million people within the region are suffering from chronic undernourishment.
Reportedly, conflict continues to be the main driver of hunger across the region. Over two-thirds of NENA hungry people, about 34 million people, live within the conflict-affected countries (much up against 18 million hungry people within the NENA countries that are not impacted directly by conflict).
As to the report, the NENA rural areas accommodate around 40% of the region total population, where the majority of poor are living.
The report shows that the average wages for those employed within agriculture are likely to be far below those of workers outside the sector. Partially as a result of lower wages in agriculture, rural areas in the NENA region generally have higher income poverty rates than urban areas. On average, rural poverty is about twice as high as poverty within urban areas.
However, at same time, the report shows that at a regional level, there are significant opportunities for transforming agriculture, starting with the provision of improved access to markets for farmers, promoting investments into the agriculture, transfer of technology and other innovations, more efficient and effective management of water resources.
«There is a great need to encourage our region farmers to produce according to the comparative advantage of the region,» Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, admits.
As to him, the NENA region has a great potential as for the crops and livestock products’ output.
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