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In Morocco, the number of people suffering from malnutrition and undernourishment dropped dramatically compared to 2012. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released, Tuesday, its 2018 report on food security and nutrition in the world.
According to the survey, only 1.4 million people were subjected to undernourishment in Morocco between 2015 and 2017, compared to the period between 2004 and 2006, when malnutrition affected 1.7 million people in the country.
These numbers remain lower than what has been registered in Sudan, Egypt and Algeria. However, they significantly exceed the situation in Tunisia where 0.5 million people suffer from malnutrition.
Meanwhile, the number of obese adults in Morocco between 2012 and 2017 grew, moving from 4.8 people in 2012 to 5.9 million Moroccan in 2016.
Anemia and obesity in Morocco
FAO explains in its report that 3.5 million Moroccan women, aged between 15 and 49, were suffering from anemia in 2017. The number was limited to 3.1 million women in 2012.
Moreover, Morocco is one of the countries affected by multiple forms of malnutrition. The North African Kingdom is listed next to Algeria, Serbia and Tunisia, which have a rising number of obesities among children. More than 20% of Moroccan adults are considered obese.
Giving more details, the report indicates that undernourishment affected 5.7% of the population in Morocco during the period between 2004 and 2006 and 3.9% between 2015 and 2017.
In North Africa, adult obesity continues to increase, moving from 22.4% to 25.6% of the population between 2012 and 2016.
For women anemia, the number grows, reaching 36.9% in 2016, compared to 34.2% in 2012.
The number of people suffering from hunger keeps rising
Overall, the number of people suffering from hunger in the world keeps rising. According to FAO, 821 million people were affected by hunger in 2017. «They are also challenging health and caregiving practices and are thus among the underlying causes of food insecurity and malnutrition in several parts of the world», wrote the UN report.
«The critical aspect going forward is to build lasting climate resilience, which will require scaled-up policies, programs and practices and better ways of working to ensure their success».
The UN organization is also linking climate variability to famine. «Hunger is significantly worse in countries with agricultural systems that are highly sensitive to rainfall and temperature variability and severe drought, and where the livelihood of a high proportion of the population depends on agriculture», added FAO.
The number of people in the world suffering from chronic undernourishment also remains below the 900 million recorded in 2000.
For teh record, the report is a collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Children's Fund World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
