The meeting was attended by representatives from both organizations. Representing the “EFDSPP” were: Dr. Salah Hashem, the Founder of the Federation, Shadi El-Sharqawy, the Executive Director of the Federation, Hoda Abdel Ghaffar, the Executive Manager of the Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies (Draya).

Representing the “Goodwill Caravan” were: Dr. Hanan Ashegh, the CEO and Founder of the Organization, Marta De Aguinaga, Director of Operations and Partnerships of the Organization, Fathi Alwali, Director of Operations for the Organization in Egypt, Salha Mubarak, the Administrative Manager of the Organization.

The meeting discussed ways of cooperation between the “EFDSPP” and the “Goodwill Caravan” in supporting refugees, out of the importance of enhancing care and support for refugees and working towards integrating them into host communities.

Both sides agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining the details of the partnership and mutual commitments to start implementing joint projects to support refugees in Egypt, particularly Palestinians and Sudanese. The first phase of cooperation will include establishing a program to assist Palestinian students in the Egyptian Universities, by covering their tuition fees and any outstanding debts owed to the universities they attend.

During the meeting, the “Goodwill Caravan” team emphasized that launching this program marks the first step in their cooperation with the Egyptian Federation. This will be followed by further stages of cooperation in areas of empowering Palestinian and Sudanese refugees in Egypt and providing them with psychological and social support to help them integrate into Egyptian society.

“Goodwill Caravan” is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (registration no 1176314). It supports thousands of refugees and vulnerable groups on the journey to a better life, through our anti-trafficking protection projects.

The humanitarian organization focuses particularly on refugee families, orphans, detained and unaccompanied children who are at the highest risk of trafficking and kidnappings, including for the organ trade.

Goodwill Caravan empowers the vulnerable populations  by giving them the skills they will need to become fully functional members of their new societies, whether that is in Greece or other European countries they are relocated to.

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As electricity and fuel cut continues, there is an imminent danger that hospitals will stop working, especially intensive care rooms, oxygen generation, and dialysis, and that ambulances and civil defense vehicles will stop providing any services. Since 42% of Gaza’s housing has been completely demolished or partially damaged, and there are one million six hundred thousand displaced people who have been forcibly removed from their homes, any rain that falls this season will lead to additional disasters, forming an advanced episode of genocide.

In view of the ongoing war crimes, aggression, and genocide against the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip, and in view of the failure of all efforts made for years to exploit the prosecution mechanism established by the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court, for many reasons that cannot be mentioned here, we call for the use of legal capabilities available under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948, , and the practical and judicial practice related to it. We note that the occupying state and a significant number of Arab countries are parties to the Convention, and did not submit any reservations regarding the provision contained in Article (9) of the Convention; under which the States Parties acknowledge the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the right of any party to the conflicting States Parties to refer disputes that may arise between the parties regarding the interpretation, application, or implementation of the Convention, including disputes related to the responsibility of a State for genocide, or for conspiracy or incitement to commit it.

Since the criminal acts committed by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip involve intentionally subjecting the residents of the Gaza Strip to living conditions that are intended to physically destroy the population of the Palestinian Strip, in whole or in part, in a systematic manner that expresses a general pattern, we demand the following:

First: That any of the state’s parties to the aforementioned agreement, especially the Arab and Islamic states parties, take the initiative to request the International Court of Justice to issue an urgent order requiring the Israeli occupation forces to stop its criminal activities in the Gaza Strip.

Second: File a lawsuit against the occupying entity and any country that contributed, supported, or colluded with it to commit genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, to hold it internationally and legally responsible for those actions.

Third: That countries take the initiative to take countermeasures against the occupying entity and those who colluded with it or facilitated the commission of genocide crimes in the Gaza Strip, including an economic boycott of the entity, severing diplomatic relations with it, and not recognizing any realistic situations that may arise from these criminal acts.

Signatory organizations:

1. Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies (includes 48 associations, specific unions, and general unions)
2. Coordination for Maghreb Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)
3. General Union of Palestinian Jurists
4. General Union of Palestinian Women
5. General Union of Palestinian Teachers
6. General Federation of Trade Unions / Palestine
7. General Federation of Yemeni Trade Unions
8. Women’s Action Union – Morocco
9. Sudanese Women’s Union
10. The Jordan Federation of the independent Trade Unions
11. The National Federation of Trade Unions and Employees in Lebanon
12. Union of Palestinian Working Women’s Committees
13. Youth Academy monitors human rights violations/Tunisia
14. Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
15. The Human Rights Coalition to Stop the Aggression, Lift the Siege, and Build Peace in Yemen (includes 10 organizations from ten Arab countries)
16. Egyptian Coalition for Child Rights (includes 180 institutions)
17. The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights Bodies (includes 20 Moroccan human rights organizations)
18. The Academic Assembly for the support of Palestine-Lebanon
19. Women’s Cultural Assembly for Democracy / Iraq
20. Cultural Rally for Democracy / Iraq
21. NGOs Platform (Tajamoh)(includes 50 organizations)/Lebanon
22. The Lebanese Women Democratic Gathering-RDFL
23. Mauritania Professors Alliance
24. Jordan Coalition Against the Death Penalty
25. Syrian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (SCODP)
26. Alliance Iraqi Minorities Network – includes 28 non-governmental organizations
27. Iraqi Coalition Against the Death Penalty
28. The Iraqi Alliance for Human Rights Organizations (includes 55 organizations)
29. The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty
30. Syrian Feminist Alliance to activate Security Council Resolution 1325
31. Yemeni Coalition Against the Death Penalty
32. The Jordan Society for Human Rights
33. Humanitarian Relief Society for Iraqi Turkmen Women/Iraq
34. Iraqi Al- Amal Association
35. Bahrain Human Rights Society
36. Baraem Association for Social Work/Lebanon
37. Civil Solidarity Association / Tunis
38. Cultural Development Association in Qena/Egypt
39. Tunisian Association for Cultural Action ATAC
40. Tunisian Association of Democratic Women
41. Tunisian Association for the Support of Minorities
42. Jordanian Jurists Association / Jordan
43. Association pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme au Maroc (ASDHOM)
44. Working Women’s Association/Jordan
45. The Iraqi Association for the Care of Juveniles and the Elderly
46. The Iraqi Society for Defending Journalists’ Rights
47. Women’s Action Association/Palestine
48. Lebanese Association of Democratic Jurists
49. Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development PWWSD”
50. Egyptian Society for Economic and Social Rights
51. Moroccan Association for Human Rights
52. The Moroccan Association for Women Progressive
53. Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Rights
54. Mauritanian Association for Human Rights
55. The Mauritanian association for the promotion of girls’ education (AMPEF)
56. Arab Women Organization-Jordan
57. Al-Nidal Association for Human Right/Iraq
58. Omy Association for Rights and Development/Egypt
59. Ana Insan Association for the Rights of the Disabled/ Jordan
60. Iraqi Human Relief and Development Society/Iraq
61. Jothor Society for Human Rights-Jordan
62. Association Bridges Citizenship / Tunisia
63. Association for the Protection of Women Workers from Violence and Harassment in the World of Work
64. Jose Marti Association for Arab-Latin American Solidarity
65. Rachel Corrie Association for Solidarity Among Peoples
66. Roaa Women Association-Jordan
67. Free Vision Association / Tunisia
68. Flowers of Life Charitable Association for sheltering orphans with special needs in Alexandria/Egypt
69. Women’s Network Society for Women Support/ Jordan
70. Chamoua Association for Equality/Morocco
71. Mothers School Association /Palestine
72. Iraqi Human Rights Monitoring Society/Iraq
73. Together for Human and Environment
74. Jordanian Women Solidarity Institute Association
75. Women’s Development Forum Association/Egypt
76. Orient Forum Association for Freedom and Peace
77. Amman Society Forum for Human Rights
78. Tunisia’s Nachas Association
79. Hevi Association For Support War Victims/Iraq
80. Wadi Nile Development Association / Egypt
81. Defense for Children International/Palestine
82. Protecting human rights defenders around the Arab world/ France
83. The Jordanian Academic Campaign for Solidarity with the Rights of the Palestinian People
84. Maison des syndicats et des services du travail/Égypte
85. Tunisian League for Tolerance
86. The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
87. The Algerian League for Defense Human Rights
88. Iraqi Woman ‘s League
89. Association of Women Heads of Families from Mauritania
90. Iraqi Human Rights Trainers Association – includes 138 trainers in the field of human rights
91. Shabak Woman Association
92. Rashid For Integrity and Transparency/ Jordan
93. Freedom Pioneers for Integrity and Human Rights Training / Jordan
94. The Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 11 human rights organizations)
95. Election Network in the Arab Region
96. Human Network for Health Promotion and Humanitarian Work /Iraq
97. International Network for Human Rights and Development / France
98. Global Network for the Defense of the Palestinian People
99. Justice Network for Prisoners – includes 40 non-governmental organizations /Iraq
100. Iraq Network for the Localization of Humanitarian Work – includes 79 non-governmental organizations
101. Iraq Network for Child Rights – includes 54 non-governmental organizations
102. The Arab Human Rights Trainers Network
103. Women’s Peace and Security Network (Yemen)
104. The Syrian National Network for Civil Peace and Community Safety.
105. JAF Network for Monitoring Democracy and Human Rights/Iraq
106. Sumariat Network/Iraq
107. Shams Election Monitoring Network – includes 161 non-profit organizations andassociations./Iraq
108. AIN Network for Monitoring Elections and Democracy – includes 33 non-governmental organizations/Iraq  
109. Karama Network (includes 25 women’s associations)
110. Naya Community Network – Jordan
111. Iraqi Women Network (include 100 organization)
112. One Justice/France
113. The working group of organizations with advisory status in the United Nations – includes (21) Iraqi organizations
114. Palestinian women against violence
115. The Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organizations and Bodies
116. Qadirat / Tunisia
117. Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (LDH)
118. Syrian Medical Committee/Paris
119. Arab Commission for Human Rights
120. The Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria (Al Rased).
121. The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunisia / Belgium
122. Palestinian Initiative to Deepen Global Dialogue and Democracy-MIFTAH
123. The International Council Supporting Fair Trials and Human Rights (ICSFT)
124. International Council for Relief and Development
125. Yemeni Council for Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
126. Lebanese Women’s Council (includes 150 organization)
127. Lawyers for Justice /Yemen
128. School of Human Rights / Kuwait
129. Arab World Observatory for Democracy and Elections
130. The Arab Observatory for Human Rights and Citizenship/ Lebanon
131. French Observatory for Human Rights/Paris
132. Observatoire mauritanien des droits de l’homme
133. Observatoire National pour la Défense de la Civilisation de l’Etat (Tunisie)
134. Hurriyat Observatory / Morocco
135. Human Rights & Democracy Media Center “SHAMS”/Palestine
136. Women’s Psychological and Social Counseling Center/Palestine
137. Strategic Center for Human Rights/Iraq
138. Arab Women Media Center / Jordan
139. Bahrain Center for Human Rights
140. American Center for Human Rights and Social Services / New York
141. Al-Badeel Center for Studies and Research/Jordan
142. Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture-Lebanon
143. Women’s Studies Center/ Palestine
144. Center for the Defense of Freedoms and Civil Rights “Hurriyat” / Palestine
145. The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and Advocates “Musawa”
146. Palestinian Centre for Peace and Democracy PCPD
147. The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms “MADA”
148. The Palestinian Center for Democratic Dialogue and Political Development
149. Center for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (CHLHR)/Yemen
150. Jerusalem Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights/Palestine
151. Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling/Palestine
152. Al Mezan Center for Supporting the Rule of Law /Iraq
153. Pana Center for Eliminating Violence against Women
154. Tunis Center for Freedom of the Press
155. Jothor Center for Human Rights/Jordan
156. Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights
157. Women Right Center In samawah/Iraq
158. Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Studies
159. Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
160. Metro Center for Defending the Rights of Journalists/ Iraq
161. Call of Karama Center for Rights and Development/Yemen
162. Women’s Rights Center for Relief and Development in Babil/Iraq
163. Democracy and human Right Development Center/Iraq 
164. Scandinavian Institute of Human Rights/Geneva
165. Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights/Australia
166. International Institute for Peace, Justice and Human Rights/Geneva
167. Yemen Media Forum / Yemen
168. Dialogue Forum for Development and Human Rights / Egypt
169. Houran Forum for Citizenship/Syria
170. Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
171. Renewal Forum for Citizen and Democratic Thought / Tunisia
172. Sisters Arab Forum for Human Rights (Yemen)
173. Sudanese National Civil Forum (includes 54 civil society organizations) / Sudan
174. Moroccan Forum for Truth and Equity
175. Human Rights Solidarity Organization/Libya
176. HFR Human Rights Organization/Britain
177. Iqbas Organization for Human Rights and Sustainable Development/Iraq
178. Strategy and Development Organization/Mauritania
179. African Organization for Human Rights Monitoring/Morocco
180. Baraem Association for Children Care/Iraq
181. International House for Human Rights / France
182. Civil Development Organization /Iraq     
183. The Tunisian Organization against Torture
184. Al-Haq Organization For Human Rights Culture/Iraq
185. Gender Studies and Information Organization / Iraq
186. rganization for the Defense of Victims of Violence / Geneva
187. Organization for the Defense of Prisoners of Conscience in Syria – Rawanga
188. Justic Orgnization For Minorites Rights /Iraq
189. Justice and Equality Organization for Human Rights, Salah al-Din, Tuz Khurmatu District /Iraq
190. The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
191. Arab Organization for Human Rights/New York
192. The Kurdish Organization for Human Rights in Syria (DAD)
193. Iraqi Women and Future Organization
194. Al-Masara Charitable Organization for Women and Children Care/Iraq
195. Al-Mounqith organization for Human Right/Iraq
196. Al-Mawaddah Organization for Human Rights/Iraq
197. Al Mouel Organization for Rights and Development / Yemen
198. Public Aid Organization/Iraq
199. National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
200. Al-Weam Organization for Defending Human Rights
201. Yemeni Organization for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures
202. Intisaf Organization for Women and Children’s Rights/Yemen
203. Insan Organization for Rights and Liberties/Yemen
204. Ankidu Humanitarian Organization for Women and Children/Iraq
205. European Organization for Human Rights/New York
206. Bro Organization for Rights and Development/Iraq
207. Freedom House Organization to defend human rights and combat slavery and its remnants/ Mauritania
208. Tammuz Organization for Social Development/Iraq
209. Family and Child Humanitarian Development Organization/Iraq
210. ORGANIZATION FOR FREEDOM OF MEDIAS AND EXPRESSION- OFME- HATIM / MOROCCO
211. The Right of Return Organization 194/ Palestine
212. Human Rights Organization in Syria- Maf
213. Organization for the Protection of Law and the Promotion of Peace / Yemen
214. Dabin Organization for Democratic Development and Human Rights /Iraq
215. Dar es Salaam Organization / New York
216. Diyala Organization for Human Rights/Iraq
217. Rasty Organization for human Rights/Iraq
218. Iraqi Messengers of Peace Organization
219. Sawa Organization for Human Rights/Iraq
220. Step Organization for democracy and election
221. Salzan Organization for Women and Human Rights/Iraq
222. Desert Youth Organization for Development and Human Rights / Libya
223. Defenders for Human Rights, Morocco
224. Masir Organization for Combating Human Trafficking /Iraq
225. Mom Organization for Women Empowerment/Iraq
226. Kirkuk Women’s Organization for Peace Propagation/Iraq
227. Nour Al-Rahma Organization for Human Rights/Iraq
228. Yemeni Organization for Defense Rights and Democratic Freedoms/Yemen
229. Ataa Al-Shabab Organization for Human Rights/Iraq
230. Creativity Foundation for Human Right
231. Alternative Development Foundation/Egypt
232. Al Salam Foundation for Human Rights in Anbar/Iraq
233. The Middle East Foundation for Development and Human Rights (Yemen)
234. Iraq Foundation for Promoting Democracy and Human Rights
235. Al-furatin Foundation for election and democracy/Iraq
236. The Egyptian Foundation for the Advancement of Children’s Rights
237. National Foundation to Combat Human Trafficking/Yemen
238. Anmal Al-Rahma Foundation for Human Rights/Iraq
239. Ataa Seed Foundation for Human Rights and Sustainable Development /Iraq
240. Foundation for the Protection of Law and the Promotion of Social Peace / Yemen
241. Community Development and Protection Support Foundation – Aden / Yemen
242. Amel International Foundation/Lebanon
243. Maison des syndicats et des services du travail/Égypte
244. Egyptian Women’s Issues Foundation
245. Mada Foundation for Human Rights / Iraq
246. Communication Foundation for Development/Egypt
247. Palestinian Journalists Syndicate
248. Yemeni Bar Association
249. National Union of Tunisian Journalists
250. The National Commission for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Rule of Law- Independence / Palestine
251. The International Commission for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People
252. Sahel Organization for Defending Human Rights and Supporting Education and Social Peace/Mauritania
253. The Palestinian Authority for PhD holders in the civil service
254. Moroccan Commission for Human Rights
255. Human Rights Center for Memory and Archives/Morocco

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In light of the trends of food systems towards globalization and their lack of important foodstuffs that preserve human health, and amid the spread of poverty rates as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war and the preceding outbreak of the Corona pandemic, which also coincided with unprecedented disturbances in climatic conditions, the world is moving away from achieving the goal of sustainable development. The aim is to eliminate all forms of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition by the year 2030, unless efforts are intensified and bolder action is taken by the international community.

the Strategic Forum for Public Policies and Development Studies “Deraya” issues a detailed report on forms of malnutrition, its causes and negative effects, as well as indicators of global malnutrition and international efforts in this regard , Based on the seriousness of the problem of malnutrition and its enormous human and economic cost. The report also sheds light on indicators of the nutritional status of children in Egypt and the Egyptian state’s efforts to eradicate malnutrition diseases.

First: forms of malnutrition

The World Health Organization defines malnutrition as a term referring to a deficiency, excess or imbalance in a person’s energy and/or nutrient intake. The different forms of malnutrition are as follows:

1- Undernutrition: There are four general sub-forms of undernutrition, namely: wasting, stunting, underweight, and lack of vitamins and minerals. Undernutrition leads to rapid vulnerability to disease and exposure to death, especially for children.

2- Malnutrition associated with micronutrient deficiencies: where the body lacks micronutrients represented in vitamins and minerals, which enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances necessary for proper growth.

3- Overweight and obesity: where a person’s weight is heavy in relation to his height, and abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat can harm health. Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance between energy intake (too much) and energy expenditure (too little).

Second: the causes of malnutrition and its negative effects

The phenomenon of malnutrition arises due to several factors, most notably the high rates of poverty, food insecurity, lack of primary health care programs for both mothers and infants, lack of potable water, and inadequate sanitation systems. Wars and conflicts exacerbate the malnutrition crisis, as the Russian-Ukrainian war disrupted supply and supply chains, followed by food shortages and an increase in the prices of basic commodities, including wheat, edible oils, and fuel. This is in addition to the repercussions of global warming, which is expected to reduce food production by 5.5% by 2050, and cause disruption to supply chains, especially in low-income countries.

Corona leads to high rates of malnutrition

The Corona pandemic exacerbated the levels of malnutrition in the world, as the number of malnourished people increased to approximately 768 million in 2020, which represents 10% of the world’s population. And the Director-General of the World Health Organization had stated in 2020 that an additional 10,000 children may die every month due to malnutrition resulting from the repercussions of the Corona pandemic, indicating his expectations that the number of malnourished children as a result of the Corona pandemic will increase by up to 14%.

In this context, the German Center for Nutrition stated that malnutrition is due to unhealthy nutrition (processed foods and ready-made products), in addition to the incidence of certain diseases such as chronic bowel diseases that prevent the proper absorption of nutrients, as well as excessive smoking, coffee and sweets. He pointed out that sadness and stress may cause malnutrition, as it leads to loss of appetite and causes problems in the stomach and intestines.

Here it should be noted that malnutrition is one of the main risk factors for many diseases, which are known as “diet-related noncommunicable diseases”, which include cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke, and are usually associated with blood pressure), some cancers, and diabetes. diabetes.

Malnutrition leads to anemia, which is caused by iron deficiency and leads to general weakness and exhaustion, as well as protein deficiency diseases, which are diseases specific to infants from the age of 6:12 months, and they occur because children do not get proteins that complement breast milk. This leads to skin infections and an enlarged liver at times, and a lack of calcium and vitamin D leads to rickets in children.

Malnutrition causes 11 million deaths annually

According to a scientific study conducted by an international team of researchers, which was published in the journal “The Lancet”, malnutrition causes about 11 million deaths worldwide annually due to heart disease, stroke and cancer. The researchers also explained that unhealthy nutrition includes, for example, eating too much salt, drinks that contain a lot of sugar, and not enough whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

According to the study, the number of deaths due to a lack of eating fruits amounted to about 2 million cases, and due to an increase in salt, about 3 million cases, while those caused by a lack of eating brown bread (whole grains) amounted to about 3 million deaths, and a lack of eating nuts and seeds resulted in 2 million deaths.

The World Health Organization reports that approximately 45% of deaths of children under the age of five are related to under nutrition. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. She also noted the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity among children in these same countries.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations “FAO” confirms that economic and social transformations have contributed to the formation of dangerous diets that have led to a significant increase in weight, obesity and stunting, stressing that children who suffer from undernourishment are more vulnerable than others to infectious diseases, and this also affects their growth. Mental and cognitive, which hinders their academic achievement and their ability to obtain appropriate jobs and earn income in the future. Malnutrition also leads to great risks for the future of mothers and women, as it leads to an endless cycle of malnutrition throughout life.

Third: Global indicators of malnutrition diseases

The 2022 edition of the “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report, which was jointly prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program and the World Health Organization, presented the latest developments in the field of malnutrition crisis. The UNICEF Nutrition Strategy for the period 2020-2030, titled “Nutrition for Every Child,” clarified the most prominent global indicators of malnutrition diseases.. The following are numbers and statistics that reflect the size of the problem and its steady increase:

1-   The prevalence of undernourishment increased in 2021 to reach 9.8%, after it was 9.3% in 2020 and 8% in 2019.

2-   The total number of undernourished people in 2021 reached about 768 million. More than half of the 425 million live in Asia and more than a third of the 278 million live in Africa, while Latin America and the Caribbean includes about 8%, with a number of up to 57 million. As the following figure shows:

Figure No. (1) The prevalence of undernourishment and the number of undernourished people globally:

Source: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report.

3- The updated projections for the number of undernourished people indicate that about 670 million people are still undernourished in 2030 – an increase of 78 million compared to a scenario in which the Corona pandemic did not occur.

4- 22% of children under five years of age suffered from stunting, by 149.2 million in 2020, and in general, stunted children reside in low-income countries or lower-middle-income countries.

5- 6.7% of children under five years of age suffered from wasting, at a rate of 45.4 million in 2020, and low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest burden of wasting among children under the age of five, with a total rate of 93% of children suffering from wasting in the world. Children in rural environments and poorer families whose mothers had no formal education were more likely to be stunted and wasted.

6- 5.7% of children under the age of five suffered from overweight, at 38.9 million worldwide, in 2020.

7- Obesity among adults is on the rise, after its rates increased worldwide from 11.8% in 2012 to 13.1% in 2016 – the latest year for which data are available. Obese adults are more likely to live in upper-middle-income or high-income countries..The prevalence of obesity among women is higher than among men. Obese women are more likely to live in urban areas and in wealthier households.

8- Low birth weight was recorded in 14.6% of newborns. . However, data gaps pose a challenge to the global monitoring of this indicator, given that nearly one in three newborns in the world were not weighed at birth, as confirmed by relevant studies.

9- About 3.1 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2020, an increase of 112 million people compared to 2019, which reflects the effects of inflation in food consumption prices as a result of the economic effects resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures taken to contain it.

10- An estimated 45 million children under the age of five suffered from wasting, one of the most deadly forms of malnutrition, which increases people’s risk of dying by up to 12 times s development “, 149 million children under 5 years of age also suffered from stunted growth and development due to chronic nutrient deficiencies in nutrients while 39 million children were overweight.

11- Progress has been made in the field of exclusive breastfeeding, as about 44% of infants under the age of six months were exclusively breastfed in 2020, but this percentage is still less than the 50% targeted by 2030.

Fourth: International efforts to solve the problem of malnutrition

1-   The launch of the United Nations Trust Fund “Unit Life”: The fund was launched in June 2021 on the sidelines of the “Generational Equality Forum”, in cooperation between the United Nations Women’s Fund, the United Nations Fund for Capital Developments, the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the French government, and aims to combat chronic malnutrition In regions of the world through innovative partnerships to finance nutritious food systems, smart climate-sensitive agriculture, and women’s empowerment and education programs.

  2- Establishment of the United Nations Contract For Action on Nutrition: In April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly announced the establishment of the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, to be jointly implemented by the Food Organization and the World Health Organization, with the aim of addressing all forms of malnutrition.

3-   The Convention on the Rights of the Child: The Convention was adopted in November 1989 and ratified by UNICEF member states. The Convention guarantees the right of the child to obtain adequate food, to enjoy the highest achievable standard of health and to take the necessary measures to reduce infant and child mortality.

Fifth: Indicators of the nutritional status of children in Egypt

In August 2022, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics issued the results of the Egyptian Family Health Survey 2021, with the aim of providing indicators that clarify the demographic and health status of Egyptians, and contributing to the development of plans and programs that help improve the health situation in Egypt, as well as providing a database that supports the implementation of the principles and objectives of the national project for the development of the Egyptian family and achieving sustainable development plans.

With regard to the nutritional status of children in Egypt, the health survey indicated that there is a clear improvement in indicators of the nutritional status of  children between 2014 and 2021, according to the following statistics:

-The percentage of children with short stature “stunted” decreased from 21% in 2014 to 13% in 2021.

-The percentage of underweight children decreased from 8% in 2014 to 3% in 2021.

-The percentage of underweight children decreased from 6% in 2014 to 4% in 2021.

Figure No. (2) shows the development of the nutritional status of young children from 2014 to 2021

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

The results of the survey indicate that there are some differences according to the different geographical regions, as the percentage of short stature in relation to age increases in Al-Waha Al-Qibli countryside to reach 16%, and decreases in urban Lower Egypt to less than 10%.

Figure No. (3) shows the percentage of overweight children by place of residence

Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics

According to this figure, the prevalence of anemia is evident among children in urban areas in Upper Egypt, while it is prevalent among children in rural areas in Upper Egypt.

In a statistical scientific study conducted by the researcher Abd al-Rahman Abu Shouk – a researcher at Harvard Medical School – and implemented by nearly a thousand researchers, and its results were published in the “Nature Medicine” journal, this paper presented numbers and statistics on the double burden of obesity and wasting in low- and middle-income countries, resulting from poor Nutrition in children at the age of five years ago, and dealt in a scientific manner in detail with the diseases of malnutrition in the governorates of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the results of which were as follows:

1-Damietta governorate topped the governorates in which wasting is prevalent, with a rate of 13.1% of children under the age of five.

2- The governorate of Beni Suef came in the last place with 3.4% of the total number of children under the age of five suffering from wasting.

3- Sharkia governorate ranked first in the percentage of overweight children.

Sixth: The efforts of the Egyptian state to eradicate malnutrition diseases

The new republic placed the health of the Egyptian citizen at the top of its priorities and made great efforts to confront malnutrition diseases and took many measures to reduce their repercussions in light of its pursuit of sustainable development, which came as follows:

1- Launching the National Food and Nutrition Strategy 2022-2030: The strategy aims to ensure that all citizens – by 2030 – have access to healthy, safe and sustainable food systems with an integrated, high-quality and comprehensive health care system.

2-  The national campaign to treat malnutrition in schools: The campaign aims at early detection of obesity and anemia in children and attention to the general health of school children at a total cost of about 165 million pounds, according to which about 15 million male and female students in the age group of 6 have already been examined. 12 years in more than 22 thousand schools.

3-  The presidential initiative to detect genetic diseases of newborns: The initiative was launched on July 13, 2021 with the aim of early detection of genetic diseases of newborns and providing free treatment for infected children, in addition to dispensing milk and foodstuffs through centers and clinics distributed in all governorates of the Republic.

4-  School feeding project: The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with a number of ministries and concerned authorities and the World Food Organization “FAO”, launched the school feeding project with the aim of providing daily meals that contain the most important vitamins and minerals that students need at the level of different educational stages.

5-   The national program for “universal salt iodization”: National laws oblige the owners of salt factories to provide it with iodine, according to the national program for “universal salt iodization” according to the 1996 quality standards.

6-   Climate Change and Nutrition Initiative (I-CAN): Launched by the Minister of Health during the activities of the COP27 climate conference, with the aim of supporting the implementation of measures to deal with climate change and mitigate its effects, support systems for transition to sustainable healthy food systems, and reduce the exacerbation of malnutrition cases. The initiative comes in partnership with the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a number of partner organizations and stakeholders.

Seventh: Recommendations

Despite the sincere Egyptian efforts to eradicate malnutrition diseases, especially among children, more efforts can be made, most notably the following:

1- Obligating food industry companies to mark the product through the food card, which serves as an “identity card” for the product, provided that it includes the ingredients of the product, its nutritional value and calories.

2- Including  in the school curricula the basics of choosing the appropriate food and integrate nutritional and health concepts in the curricula.

3-Conducting more studies and supporting quantitative and qualitative research to understand the social practices and habits that shape the nutritional status of children and women in particular.

4- Raising the capabilities of health pioneers in the areas of community awareness and providing nutritional advice, especially in rural and Upper Egypt areas.

5- Monitoring data and information that enable tracking of progress towards improving children’s nutrition.

6- Reducing the levels of salt and fat in school meals so that they are at the lowest levels possible.

7- Encouraging absolute breastfeeding, especially in the first 6 months of the child’s life, and helping working mothers to continue breastfeeding.

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Hashem explained that the financial allocations for the new exceptional social package will be provided through the provision of reserves within the state’s general budget, amounting to about 135 billion pounds, which is allocated to confront crises and shocks, noting that the new package is the second during 2022, as the first was approved in February and applied on the first of March, and amounts to Its cost is about 67 billion pounds, and it will be implemented starting next November, and it is a cost that is expected to increase to reach 100 billion pounds.

The head of the “Draya” forum also stated that the exceptional social package comes as an immediate translation of the recommendations of the economic conference, which includes the following measures:

• Raising the minimum wage from 2400 in February 2022 and then to 2700 in April 2022, and the last increase amounted to about 3000 pounds, bringing the current minimum wage.
• Increasing salaries for state employees by about 300 pounds per month for all job levels, starting from the sixth degree to the excellent degree, which is a lump-sum undiscounted value, with a total annual cost estimated at 16.4 billion pounds.
• An increase of 300 pounds for all pensioners and their beneficiaries for more than 10.5 million citizens, at a total annual cost of 32 billion pounds.
• Raising the minimum tax exemption to 30,000 pounds instead of 24,000 pounds, an increase of 25%, at an annual cost of 8 billion pounds. It means that new categories are completely exempt from income taxes, which benefits a large number of citizens, especially in light of the high rates of inflation and the current wave of high prices.
• Stimulating the private sector with a cash support package subject to not laying off or laying off workers.
• Stabilizing energy prices (fuel until the end of December 2022).
• Stabilizing electricity prices at the same level as the current prices until the end of June 2023, i.e. for an additional 6 months, at an additional cost of EGP 1.9 billion, and a total cost of EGP 3.8 billion for the current fiscal year 2022/2023.
• Continuing to support ration cards at an average of 100-300 pounds until the end of June 2023, with the total targeted cards increasing by 10.3 million, with a total of 11 million pounds. Continuing to support ration cards at an average of 100-300 pounds until the end of June 2023, with the total targeted cards increasing by 10.3 million, with a total of 11 million pounds.
• An increase in the number of beneficiaries of conditional cash support programs (Takaful and Karama) by 400,000, with the inclusion of 40 new villages within the presidential initiative, a decent life.

Hashem confirmed that these measures would contribute to achieving relative stability in the general level of prices during the current fiscal year 2022/2023, and mitigate the acceleration in the decline in the standard of living of individuals as much as possible in light of the number of beneficiaries, which amount to 10 million on average.

Hashem stressed the need to control markets, prevent monopolistic practices and price manipulation, and exploit economic conditions to carry out practices that violate the provisions of the law that would increase the burdens on citizens, explaining that among the most important challenges that the state may face is the rise in prices again globally, which may lead to doubling the obligations granted by the government. In compliance with the directives of the political leadership.

He added that the performance of the Egyptian economy has witnessed a great development recently, which has been avoided by many repercussions that the countries of the world witnessed in light of the state of uncertainty and turmoil that befell the global economy, referring to a report issued by Fitch Solutions under the title Country Risk Report. Which stated that the Egyptian industrial sector is facing a great opportunity with the decline in imports from abroad, and therefore the relative contribution of the industrial sector can be increased by providing an opportunity for the private sector and enabling it to restore growth, so that the percentage of industry will reach more than 20% during the next three years compared to a contribution rate It is estimated at only 17%.

He also expressed his expectation that global investments will witness a great movement during the meetings of the Climate Summit Cop 27 in November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, where the summit represents a great opportunity for the Egyptian side to enhance investment flows inside, through marketing all available investment opportunities in general and investments directed to the environmental sector and the economy Green and hydrogen production in particular.

On the “State Ownership Document”, the head of the “Draya” forum said that the Egyptian state is working on formulating the general framework governing state ownership in the economic system, and it is expected that the document will be presented in its final form at the end of the first quarter of the current 2022/2023 fiscal year, and the government aims through This document provides for the availability of economic activity at rates ranging between 60:75% for the private sector.

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