MAS Publishes the 25th Edition of its Biannual Food Security Bulletin (FSB)
Ramallah, 3 April 2021: MAS published the 25th edition of its biannual “Food Security Bulletin (FSB)” today. Published bi-annually by MAS, the Bulletin is a regular resource for reporting on the food security sector. The Bulletin aims to support decision-makers and institutions working towards better food security in Palestine. This winter edition mainly focuses on the Socio-Economic and Food Security Survey (SEFsec) 2020 results, highlighting the deterioration of food security levels between 2018 and 2020 in the Gaza Strip.
The FSB begins by discussing the results of the 2020 SEFsec results published in December 2021. The report warns of the deteriorating food security conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It finds that less than half of Palestinian households were food secure in 2020, reflecting a decline in food security levels between 2018 and 2020.
The Bulletin then goes on to discuss the Dutch government’s decision to discontinue its funding of the Palestinian Union of Agriculture Work Committees (UAWC), the largest agricultural development institution in Palestine after Israel designated the group as a “terrorist organization”. The discontinuation of funds poses financial risks to the UAWC as the Dutch government has been its top donor since 2013. The FSB also reports on the findings of the Near East and North Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition prepared by the FAO. The overview reveals that Arab states remain off-track when it comes to achieving hunger and nutrition-related SDG targets, as hunger levels have continued to rise since 2014.
This 25th edition also provides an update on global and Palestinian food prices, comparing the two and noting their most significant changes, such as the 28% jump in global food prices by the end of 2021 compared to 2020, reaching their highest level in a decade. It also includes a literature review of a study on enhancing the ability of agriculture to cope with major crises, as well as an analytical study on the status, potential, and risks of the digitalization of agri-food systems in the MENA region. Finally, the FSB reviews a Palestine-specific study on the changes in food attitudes and consumer behavior towards food during COVID-19.
The FSB (Arabic) will be available soon.
