New Release: Update and Review of Zero Hunger Strategic Review (2017)
Ramallah, 30th Aug 2022: MAS recently issued a review and update on the progress made in the “Zero Hunger Strategic Review (ZHSR)” report which was prepared by MAS in 2017 for the benefit of the World Food Programme (WFP). The developments seen in the food and nutrition security sector necessitated an updated study of the impacts of these developments on ZHSR 2017 goals and priorities, as well as analyzing the relevance of ZHSR 2017 recommendations to the current context.
The review demonstrates a deterioration in many social and economic indicators, which reflected negatively on many of the food and nutrition security indicators in Palestine. The percentage of Palestinian households who are food insecure decreased by about 7% in 2020 compared with 2018, i.e., less than half of Palestinian households were food secure in 2020.
Poverty and unemployment rates also increased, and labor force participation rates decreased during the same period. In the same context, many indicators of food security related to the second goal of the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030, particularly indicators of underweight, overweight, and obesity among children (under the age of five) in poor and marginalized groups, have deteriorated as well. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Israeli military escalation against the Gaza Strip in 2021 had heavily impacted these indicators, in addition to the increase in food prices locally and globally, and the decline in international aid to Palestine.
The report reviewed the most prominent changes, at the national level, that positively affected the progress toward achieving food and nutrition security. Most notably, the report highlighted developing the “National Food and Nutrition Security Policy 2019-2030”, as well as the “National Investment Plan”. In addition to working to unify the legal framework that regulates assistance provided by various parties. As well as implementing nutrition awareness activities among different groups, especially children in schools. This came in addition to developing the National Cash-based Transfer Program, targeting poor households, to integrate assistance provided by local and international agencies under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD).
The report also provided a specific set of recommendations, most notably: the need to expedite the formation of the Food and Nutrition Security Council; linking the institutions that are responsible for data collection on food and nutrition security sector with decision-makers; furthermore, the need to develop evidence-based mechanisms to monitor and predict food security gaps, especially among marginalized groups; the need to implement specific social protection interventions targeting small producers and the youth in rural areas, to encourage innovation, access to financial support, and expanding training and entrepreneurship programs; as well as developing vocational training programs to increase self-employment based on opportunities compared to self-employment based on necessity.
The report was prepared by a team of MAS researchers working collaboratively with the WFP and in consultation with a range of stakeholders and concerned organizations.
To read the full report click : Zero Hunger Strategic Review (2017): Update and Review of Progress