Middle East & North Africa

In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), the COVID-19 pandemic has increased budget deficits, reduced economic growth, and raised poverty and unemployment levels. Ongoing conflicts, political turbulence, and fragility in Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere have hindered both the response to the pandemic and long-term economic reform and development processes. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has further exacerbated the recent rise in global food prices and created additional pressure for economies and populations in MENA countries that are net food and fuel importers, such as Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. For example, in Egypt and Yemen, wheat and wheat products represent between 35 and 46 percent of caloric intake per person. Egypt is the world’s largest importer of wheat, with imports accounting for about 60 percent of total wheat use in the country, and Yemen’s cereal import dependence ratio is estimated to be 97 percent. As such, the Russia-Ukraine war poses a serious food security threat for Egypt and threatens to further exacerbate undernourishment and reliance on external assistance in Yemen.