Egypt suffers a food gap of more than $10 billion as it exports 60% of food, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam said on the sidelines of the Cairo Water week (CWW) on October 17th.

The country is also suffering from water scarcity and is close to facing absolute water scarcity, Sewilam added.

The annual water deficit in Egypt stands at around 21 billion cubic meters, he remarked.

The cultivated lands represent only 3.50% of the country, with Egypt depending on the Nile River by 97%, he pointed out.

The minister said that these challenges have pushed the ministry to set the National Plan for Water Resources 2037, which targets the rationalization of water, developing additional water resources, and improving the quality of water.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry previously stated that Egypt comes in a leading position among countries facing water scarcity, deemed the driest country in the world.

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