[Published: Friday October 09 2026]
 FAO says farming aid cannot wait
ROME, 09 Oct. - (ANA) - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for urgent funding to help families in the Near East and North Africa to keep growing food and earning a living as conflict, displacement and climate pressures deepen hunger.
More than 45 million people across the region face crisis-level hunger or worse.
At the same time, funding shortfalls are limiting support to protect food production.
Funding gaps
In Sudan, where 19.5 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity, only 23 per cent of the $193 million needed under the 2026–2028 emergency response plan has been funded. In Yemen, FAO has secured less than one per cent of the $87.9 million it requires for 2027.
In Lebanon, more than one million people were displaced after the March 2026 escalation, and more than 22 per cent of agricultural land has reportedly been damaged.
“Investing early in seeds, livestock, water and other agricultural support can protect livelihoods, prevent hunger from deepening and reduce humanitarian needs over time,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. - (ANA) -
AB/ANA/09 October 2026 - - -
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