Food and energy crises sparked by war top Arab summit agenda in Algiers

Food and energy crises sparked by war top Arab summit agenda in Algiers

CAIRO: Algeria is hosting the 31st summit of the largest annual Arab conference on Tuesday and Wednesday as the region battles to find common ground over a series of issues. The 22-member Arab League last held its summit in 2019, before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. In the years since, new challenges have drastically reshaped the region’s agenda and the fallout of the war in Ukraine. All those issues are expected to take centre stage during Algeria’s debut hosting of the summit. The event provides an opportunity for Africa’s largest country — by territory — to showcase its leadership in the Arab world. Algeria is a major oil and gas producer and is perceived by European nations as a key supplier amid the global energy crisis. Chief among the summit’s discussion points will likely be the food and energy crises aggravated by the conflict in eastern Europe. The crisis has had devastating consequences for Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia, among other Arab countries, struggling to import enough wheat and fuel to satisfy their population. Also, the past month has seen the worst drought in several decades ravage swaths of Somalia, one of the Arab League’s newer members, bringing some areas