Food security and conflict in the ESCWA region

"This report argues that, up to a certain extent, the conflict-affected countries and territories of the ESCWA region can promote food security nationally. What the region is in need of, however, is greater regional cooperation for three reasons, namely: (a) conflict-affected countries and territories do not have the fiscal space and public administrative capacity needed to finance and introduce food security programmes; (b) prevailing political constraints prevent existing cleavages between ruling elites and disenfranchised factions within the society from being easily overcome; and (c) the potential benefits from investments into better food security are greater when taking advantage of regional cooperation, given that the numerous threats to food security carry a regional dimension and, therefore, require a regional solution in line with the subsidiarity principle."--Introd.