For millions across the Arab world, hunger and a lack of food affordability are becoming more widespread and likely to increase.
New Arab Barometer survey data has revealed the extent of that pressure, with large proportions of respondents across eight Arab countries saying they regularly go without food because they cannot afford it. The findings offer a stark snapshot of a region under strain before the shocks from the latest military conflict ripple through markets.
Now, the World Food Programme has said that renewed instability across the Middle East threatens to worsen record levels of hunger through displacement, disrupted supply lines and rising prices. The chart shows where that pain was being felt most sharply before the Iran war.
Syria tops the survey list in 2025, with 70 per cent of respondents saying they regularly go without food because they cannot afford it. There, a 14-year civil war plunged 90 per cent of the population below the poverty line. More than a decade of war, sanctions, economic collapse and currency weakness have hollowed out household purchasing power, leaving many families unable to cope with even modest price rises.
Tunisia and Egypt follow at 49 per cent each, a striking sign that food insecurity is not limited to conflict states. In both countries, years of inflation, pressure on public finances and stagnant incomes have made basic staples harder to afford. Again, according to the latest reports, the Iran war and subsequent developments in the Strait of Hormuz have added to supply constraints.
Jordan records 45 per cent, while Palestine (excluding Gaza) stands at 41 per cent. Iraq comes in at 35 per cent, Morocco at 29 per cent and Lebanon at 22 per cent. Even the lowest figure in the survey means more than one in five people say they regularly go without food because of cost.
Food crises today are increasingly driven not by the total absence of food, but by the growing gap between wages and prices. Markets are still stocked, but millions are being priced out of regular meals. The latest regional conflict risks deepening that divide.
The first factor is displacement. Families forced from homes lose income, land, kitchens and access to local markets. In countries already under economic pressure, this can create immediate dependence on aid.
Second is disruption to supply chains. Conflict can damage roads, ports and crossings, or simply make transport more dangerous and expensive. These are quickly seen on shop shelves and in wholesale markets.
Third is price inflation. Higher fuel and shipping costs feed directly into the cost of importing grain, cooking oil and fresh produce. Even where food remains available, it becomes harder to afford.
This is especially significant in the Arab world, where many countries rely heavily on imported wheat and staple foods, leaving them exposed to both global commodity shocks and regional transport disruption. As the survey data predates the latest escalation, conditions in some countries may already be worse than the chart reflects.
Lebanon, for example, recorded the lowest figure in the survey at 22 per cent. But an invasion by Israel and orders for millions in Southern Lebanon has led to mass displacement and economic fragility may already have changed that picture significantly.
The broader warning is that hunger in the Arab world can no longer be viewed only through the lens of humanitarian emergencies. It is increasingly tied to disrupted supply chains, inflation and stagnated wages.
