According to the United Nations, a third of the 420 million people in the Arab globe do not have enough to eat, with 69 million suffering from malnutrition last year.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said in a report that between 2019 and 2020, the number of malnourished individuals in the Arab globe increased by 4.8 million to 69 million, accounting for approximately 16 percent of the population.
“The increase in undernourishment levels has happened across all income levels, in conflict-affected as well as non-conflict countries,” according to the FAO.
“Moreover, approximately 141 million individuals lacked appropriate food in 2020, an increase of more than 10 million people from 2019.”
The Covid-19 pandemic “delivered another huge shock,” according to the report, with the number of undernourished persons in the region rising by 4.8 million in 2019 compared to the previous year.
Last year, conflict-torn Somalia and Yemen remained the worst-affected countries, with nearly 60% of Somalis going hungry and more than 45% of Yemenis suffering from malnutrition.
“In 2020, Yemen had the highest prevalence of anemia, affecting 61.5 percent of reproductive-age women,” the report stated.
According to the FAO, hunger in the Arab world has soared by 91.1 percent in the last two decades.
