Rabat, May 9 -- Hunger in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region continues to worsen in a trend that has been seen since 2011, according to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The rise of hunger in the region is primarily due to the region's ongoing conflicts, reports the FAO. While those five conflict countries have seen an increase in undernourishment to 26%, the rate has remained relatively low (5%) in countries which aren't experiencing conflict.

Two-thirds of hungry people in the region, making up 34 million people, live in countries affected by conflict. The remaining 18 million hungry are not in conflict stricken countries, but experience the region-wide ramification of those conflicts. ...