Report Title: Food and Water Security in the Middle East and North Africa
Rapporteur: Maria MARTENS (the Netherlands)
Year: 2017
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has descended into turmoil since 2010/2011 – a period that also coincided with regional drought. At the 2016 Warsaw Summit, NATO made clear that transatlantic security is “deeply affected by the security situation in the Middle East and North Africa” (NATO, 2016). Daesh* and other extremist groups have struck Allied territory with vicious terrorist attacks. Large numbers of refugees and migrants have fled the region for neighbouring countries and Europe. Other threats and challenges loom, including trafficking of small arms and light weapons, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery as well as threats against maritime security and energy supplies. Consequently, NATO emphasised “the need to do more to achieve lasting calm and an end to violence”, as “Peace and stability in this region are essential for the Alliance”.
