With conflict in the Middle East now escalating into Lebanon and beyond, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue to face dire food security conditions. One year has passed since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, triggering the Israeli military retaliation and war that have killed more than 41,000 Palestinians and devastated the livelihoods of Gaza’s population of over 2 million.
Established in 2014 and managed by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Arab Food and Nutrition Security (AFNS) Blog seeks to disseminate policy-relevant discussions and insights from experts working on food and nutrition security in the MENA region.
The opinions or views contained in the AFNS Blog do not represent those of , CGIAR, , IFPRI, it's employees, agents, or affiliates.
Higher wheat prices push Egypt to increase price of subsidized bread for first time since 1989
Bread prices have long been a sensitive political issue in Egypt. In 1977, President Anwar Sadat cut the subsidies, triggering protests known as the “bread intifada”—ultimately forcing him to roll back his subsidy reform. In 2011, Egyptians took to the streets protesting the regime of President Hosni Mubarak with slogans calling for “bread, freedom, and social justice.” In 2017, Egyptian Ministry of Supply proposals to reduce the state-sponsored provision of bread from up to 4,000 to 500 loaves per bakery provoked large-scale protests across the country.
The Population of Gaza is on the Brink of Famine
The food insecurity situation in the Gaza Strip is becoming increasingly dire. A recent blog of just 10 days ago and based on an assessment by the World Food Programme pointed out that during October and November, 80 percent of the population in Gaza was displaced and more than 80 percent suffered food deficiencies
Long-lasting Devastation to Livelihoods from Damage to Agricultural Lands in Gaza
Israel’s continuing attacks against Hamas are causing massive collateral damage to agricultural livelihoods and food supplies in the Gaza Strip. More than one third of agricultural lands in Gaza have been damaged since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, according to analysis based on satellite imagery by the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Famine in Gaza
Is it too late to save Gaza’s population from famine? The latest assessment of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) global partnership suggests this is imminent for at least half the population of 2.2 million.
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