
Arab food insecurity: A recipe for regional chaos
In the volatile landscape of the Arab world, food and water security have emerged as critical pillars of national stability, inextricably linked to escalating regional tensions and shifting geopolitics. As conflicts simmer from Syria to Yemen and external powers exploit divisions, the region's ability to feed and hydrate its populations faces unprecedented threats.
Recent reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia paint a grim picture: hunger and malnutrition have surged to critical levels, affecting more than 69 million people in the Arab world as of 2024. This crisis, exacerbated by climate change, pandemics and wars, underscores the urgent need for Arab nations to forge cooperative strategies for self-sufficiency, lest they remain vulnerable to global supply disruptions and manipulative foreign influences.
The Arab world's strategic environment is a powder keg of instability. Tensions in one corner barely cool before igniting elsewhere, as seen in the recent unrest in Sweida, Syria, where Israeli airstrikes ostensibly to protect the Druze minority violated Syrian sovereignty amid a perceived US green light. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry swiftly condemned these incursions, highlighting a broader pattern of Israeli provocations that exploit power vacuums and regional fractures. Such interventions not only destabilize borders but also amplify food and water insecurities, disrupting agricultural supply chains and displacing farmers.
Geopolitical shifts further compound these challenges. The ongoing war in Ukraine has disrupted global grain exports, on which many Arab states heavily rely, while the Israeli assaults on Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, along with its exchanges with Iran, have ravaged local agriculture. In Gaza, where food insecurity affected 31 percent of the population pre-2023 escalation due to blockades and water restrictions, the situation has deteriorated into famine-like conditions, with more than 90 percent of residents facing acute shortages by mid-2025.
Lebanon's recent conflicts have eroded purchasing power for 90 percent of its agricultural workforce, inflating food prices and crippling production. In Sudan, armed clashes have barred 40 percent of farmers from their lands, destroying infrastructure and spiking prices by more than 70 percent, leaving 25 million in severe hunger. Yemen's protracted war, punctuated by US-Israeli strikes, has demolished irrigation systems and hiked wheat prices by 40 percent, pushing 70 percent of its population into food insecurity, including 17 million in acute need. Libya and Syria fare no better, with conflict-induced displacements halting cultivation and inflating import dependencies.
Water security, often the overlooked twin of food security, is equally imperiled. The Arab world, home to 5 percent of the global population but only 1 percent of renewable water resources, grapples with severe scarcity. Climate change has intensified droughts, reducing aquifer levels and river flows in the Euphrates, Tigris and Nile basins, which are vital for irrigation.
Geopolitical tensions exacerbate this, including through upstream damming projects. One example is Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which threatens Egypt and Sudan's water shares, potentially slashing Nile flows by 25 percent and devastating agriculture. In Palestine, Israeli control over aquifers diverts 85 percent of West Bank water to settlements, leaving Palestinians with per capita access below WHO minimums. Syria and Iraq face similar upstream pressures from Turkiye, where dams on the Euphrates have cut flows by 40 percent, crippling downstream farming. These water wars not only undermine food production, as agriculture consumes 80 percent of regional water, but also fuel national security risks. Resource disputes could ignite broader conflicts.
Amid these perils, Arab food self-sufficiency remains alarmingly low. The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development reported in 2024 that the region imports more than 50 percent of its basic needs, with grain self-sufficiency at just 38 percent, wheat at 35 percent, maize at 23 percent and rice at 48 percent (though Egypt achieves a surplus in rice). Edible oils stand at 34 percent, sugar at 41 percent, meat at 69 percent, legumes at 37 percent and dairy at 82 percent.
This dependency exposes economies to volatile global markets, where prices have soared 20 percent to 30 percent since 2022 due to supply chain disruptions. Wars amplify the gap: in conflict zones, agricultural output has plummeted 30 percent to 50 percent, widening the food deficit and inflating import bills to $100 billion annually.
National security is at stake, as food and water vulnerabilities invite external manipulation. In a geopolitically charged era, where superpowers vie for influence, resource scarcity becomes a weapon. The US-led West, often prioritizing strategic alliances over humanitarian concerns, has enabled sieges and blockades that starve populations. This is exemplified by the crisis in Gaza, where daily hunger deaths occur amid international complicity, backed by arms supplies from Washington.
Hunger and malnutrition have surged to critical levels, affecting more than 69 million people in the Arab world as of 2024.
Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed
Yet, hope lies in Arab agency. Food and water security demand political stability through regional solidarity, not fragmentation. Experts advocate clear paths: fostering intra-Arab cooperation via joint ventures, like shared irrigation projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council or Nile Basin initiatives; exchanging expertise in desalination and drought-resistant crops; developing unified food policies under the Arab League; adopting climate-smart technologies, such as precision agriculture and genetically modified seeds tailored to arid climates; and building strategic reserves for emergencies, buffered against global shocks.
Investment in research and development is crucial, boosting yields through hydroponics, vertical farming and wastewater recycling could close the water gap by 20 percent to 30 percent. The UAE's Masdar City and Saudi Arabia's NEOM exemplify the region's innovative approaches, blending renewable energy with sustainable agriculture. Reducing reliance on imports requires subsidizing local farmers, reforming subsidies that favor urban consumers and integrating water management into national security doctrines.
In conclusion, the Arab world's future hinges on transforming anxiety into action. With geopolitical tensions showing no abatement, from Iranian-Saudi reconciliation being tested by proxy conflicts to US-China rivalries spilling into the Middle East, food and water security must be elevated as existential imperatives. By uniting in self-reliance, Arab nations can shield themselves from external predation, ensuring sovereignty and dignity for generations. The opportunity is ripe; the will must follow.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
14 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Border Guard, SCIHL drive humanitarian progress at Riyadh event
RIYADH: A course aiming to promote awareness of international humanitarian law and enhance its implementation in Saudi Arabia took place on Wednesday in Riyadh. The Introduction to International Humanitarian Law course was organized by the Kingdom's national Standing Committee of International Humanitarian Law, or SCIHL, in partnership with the General Directorate of Border Guard, with the participation of more than 500 military and civilian personnel. The three-day course took place at the Border Guard headquarters and included a series of specialized lectures addressing key topics such as cyber operations within the framework of international humanitarian law and the role of civilian and military media in times of armed conflict. The program also featured a high-level panel discussion titled 'The Importance of Enforcing International Humanitarian Law at the National Level,' delivered by a select group of experts. SCIHL secretary-general counselor, Abdullah Al-Ruwaili, told Arab News that the diverse attendance reflected the high level of confidence participants place in the professionalism of the organizing bodies, particularly the SCIHL and the General Directorate of Border Guards. Al-Ruwaili said that the relevance and timing of the course — amid escalating challenges related to conflicts and emerging technologies — were key factors behind the significant turnout. The diversity of the course's themes — encompassing legal, cyber and media aspects — played a key role in drawing a wide audience of practitioners and stakeholders, according to the secretary general. The interactive approach and the participation of prominent experts fostered a rich environment for dialogue and the exchange of expertise, Al-Ruwaili said. He said that confidence in the professionalism of the organizing bodies and their commitment to the quality of content and outcomes were among the key factors behind the engagement and positive feedback from participants. The joint organization of the course by the SCIHL and the Border Guard stands as a distinguished example of national institutional synergy in the implementation of international humanitarian law, he added. By combining the committee's legal and academic expertise with the directorate's provision of a practical, field-based setting for in-depth dialogue, the initiative successfully integrated theoretical frameworks with real-world application — substantially enhancing the quality and impact of the training content, Al-Ruwaili said. 'This collaboration stands as a testament to the Border Guard's dedication to strengthening its capabilities in accordance with international humanitarian values and principles. It represents a leading example of synergy between legal and security institutions — one that holds potential for broader application across various sectors,' Al-Ruwaili said. The joint organization of the course by the SCIHL and the Border Guard stands as a distinguished example of national institutional synergy in the implementation of international humanitarian law, he added. By combining the committee's legal and academic expertise with the directorate's provision of a practical, field-based setting for in-depth dialogue, the initiative successfully integrated theoretical frameworks with real-world application — substantially enhancing the quality and impact of the training content, Al-Ruwaili said. 'This collaboration stands as a testament to the Border Guard's dedication to strengthening its capabilities in accordance with international humanitarian values and principles. It represents a leading example of synergy between legal and security institutions — one that holds potential for broader application across various sectors,' Al-Ruwaili said.


Asharq Al-Awsat
15 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
RSF Shelling On Camp Kills 8 in Sudan's Darfur, Say Rescuers
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled a displacement camp in Sudan's Darfur region on Thursday, killing eight civilians and injuring others, a local rescue group said. The bombardment hit Abu Shouk camp, which hosts tens of thousands of displaced people on the outskirts of El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur. El-Fasher remains the last major stronghold in Sudan's western Darfur region not under the control of the RSF, who have been at war with the regular army since April 2023, AFP reported. "The Abu Shouk camp witnessed heavy artillery bombardment by the RSF... killing eight people," the camp's Emergency Response Room said in a statement. In recent weeks, El-Fasher, which has been under RSF siege since last year, has been locked in intense fighting between warring sides in a region also gripped by famine. Thursday's offensive comes just days after a series of attacks by the RSF targeted another battleground region of Sudan. More than 450 people, including 35 children, were killed in several villages of North Kordofan, southwest of the capital Khartoum, according to a statement released this week by the UN's children agency. "No child should ever experience such horrors," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Violence against children is unconscionable and must end now." On Sunday, the RSF claimed to have killed more than 470 army personnel near the town of El-Obeid, also in North Kordofan, in a statement posted to its Telegram channel. Independent verification of casualties in Sudan remains difficult due to restricted access to its conflict zones. Now in its third year, the conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee, creating what the United Nations describes as the world's largest displacement crisis. In December last year, famine was officially declared in three displacement camps near El-Fasher, namely Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al-Salam, according to the UN. Since the Sudanese army regained control of the capital Khartoum in March, the RSF has shifted its operations westward, focusing on Darfur and Kordofan in a bid to consolidate territorial gains. In April, RSF fighters seized the Zamzam displacement camp, located near Abu Shouk. The assault forced nearly 400,000 people to flee, according to UN figures, effectively emptying one of the country's largest camps for the displaced. Sudanese analyst Mohaned el-Nour told AFP the RSF aims to redefine its role in the conflict. "Their goal is no longer to be seen as a militia, but as an alternative government in western Sudan, undermining the legitimacy of the authorities in Port Sudan." He added that the recent surge in violence in North Kordofan was likely intended to divert the army's attention from El Fasher, where the military is trying "at all costs" to maintain.


Arab News
17 hours ago
- Arab News
Saudi Arabia signs $6.4bn investment deals with Syria to boost reconstruction
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has signed investment deals worth $6.4 billion with Syria, marking a significant step in the Kingdom's efforts to re-engage economically with the war-ravaged country and support its reconstruction drive. The agreements, spanning sectors such as real estate, telecommunications, and finance, were unveiled by Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih during the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus on July 25. The forum highlights Saudi Arabia's strong commitment to strengthening Syria's financial landscape. In April, the Kingdom joined Qatar in settling the country's $15 million debt to the World Bank. 'During this forum, we will witness the signing of 47 agreements and memoranda of understanding with a total value approaching SR24 billion ($6.4 billion), said Al-Falih. The deals include $1.07 billion in the telecommunications sector, with Syria's Ministry of Communications and several Saudi telecom companies aiming to deepen bilateral ties. Companies involved in the plans include Saudi Telecom Co., GO Telecom, digital security firm Elm, cybersecurity company Cipher, and education technology firm Classera. In the real estate and infrastructure sectors, deals worth $2.93 billion were announced, including the construction of three new Saudi-financed cement plants to support Syria's reconstruction efforts. The two nations also agreed to enhance cooperation in agriculture. 'In the agricultural sector, we look forward to collaborating in Syria to develop high-quality joint projects, including model farms and processing industries,' said Al-Falih. In finance, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Saudi Tadawul Group and the Damascus Securities Exchange to boost cooperation in the fintech sector. Al-Falih also announced the formation of a Saudi-Syrian Business Council, which is expected to further strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries. Speaking at a separate panel discussion during the forum, Al-Falih said Syria is evolving into a more investment-friendly destination, despite ongoing challenges. 'Syria is leaping forward as an investment-attractive country despite all challenges. Since the beginning of its new era, we have witnessed a genuine desire to provide investment opportunities for Saudi businessmen,' he added.