Including Syria.. Families of Arab countries face difficulty in securing food at the Ramadan table

A report by The Economist magazine sheds light on the situation of Arab countries during the month of Ramadan, stating that the ceremonies celebrating the month of Ramadan last year were reduced due to the new Corona virus pandemic, while families in several Arab countries face difficulty securing food on the table due to the tense economic situation.

According to data from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), about 960 million people do not have enough food to be healthy, 64 million of them reside in 12 Arab countries, where half of the population in Syria and Yemen suffers from hunger, especially after the relief organizations cut off International quotas for Yemenis to cut spending in its budget.

The magazine pointed out that “wars and economic crises have made hunger an endemic reality in the lives of many peoples,” adding that “even in countries ruled by stable governments, there is concern about the impact of high global food prices.”

At a time when the United Nations expects an upcoming famine in Yemen, the cost of basic materials in Syria is twice the salary of an average employee, as the prices of rice, bread, sugar, oil, and lentils continue to rise every year.

The magazine considered that “dairy and fruits may turn into a luxury like meat, which is difficult to buy in Syria,” referring to bread lines as Syrians congregate in front of bakeries that offer bread at the subsidized price of the “government.”

The Crisis Observatory pointed out that, compared with previous years, the increase in the cost of the basic breakfast meal is clear, from about 445,000 liras per month in 2018 and 467,000 liras per month in 2019 to about 600,000 per month in 2020, to jump upward this year.

The Crisis Observatory noted that families will incur more than two and a half times (2,6) in this month the minimum wage to secure their breakfast, and 42.5% of families in Lebanon, whose income does not exceed one million and 200 thousand pounds per month, will find it difficult to secure their strength at the minimum required.

The American University of Beirut Crisis Observatory stated that the cost of a very simple Ramadan Iftar will exceed the capacity of many Lebanese families as the economic conditions continue to deteriorate and the prices of foodstuffs have continued to deteriorate.

The magazine also referred to the impact of high global food prices, saying that “the situation in Egypt, which imports 13 million tons of wheat annually to subsidize bread, raises concern,” especially after Russia imposed new taxes on exports.

The magazine pointed out that food prices rose by 11 percent in Saudi Arabia last February, stressing that even in the Emirates, which is considered one of the rich countries, stores and grocery stores were asked to offer discounts during the month of Ramadan. Prices, noting that the main food supplies have been grown in the desert, but the country still imports 90 percent of what it eats.