Arab governments are worried about food security

RAMADAN, WHICH began at sunset on April 12th in much of the world, is a month of both fasting and feasting, as long days of restraint give way to big meals after sunset. Celebrations were curtailed last year because of the covid-19 pandemic. With looser restrictions now in some Arab countries, families are looking towards a more festive holiday. Yet many will struggle to put food on the table.

The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 960m people do not have enough food to be healthy. Some 64m of them are scattered across 12 Arab states. That is about one in six Arabs. Wars and economic crises have made hunger a chronic fact of life for some. And even stable governments are worried about the effect of rising global food prices.