Thank you Mr. President,
I thank Brazil and Ireland for convening this meeting, and the briefers for exposing the sad reality of food insecurity and its connections with conflict and violence.
With resolution 2417 of May 2018, this Council recognized squarely how wars drive hunger, both directly and indirectly.
Wars force people to flee their lands and livelihoods, destroy livestock and agricultural means of production, and increase food prices in global markets.
Over four years later, we are in a worse situation than we were in 2018. Much worse. We are facing a looming food catastrophe.
2022 is likely to set a record as the most food insecure year globally. Millions of people across the globe face acute food insecurity.
Places such as Northern Ethiopia, Northeast Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen are likely to be hardest hit, but they are the tip of the iceberg. As a result of conflict and violence, around 648,000 people are projected to experience catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Many other countries like Afghanistan and Somalia are now facing an alarming situation.
Globally, 276 million people are struggling to find food. 49 million in 43 countries are “knocking on famine’s door”.
The war in Ukraine is compounding a growing humanitarian crisis with ramifications that constitute a global threat to peace and security.
Resolution 2417 sets the basic framework for addressing conflict-driven hunger, and its devastating impacts on peace and security.
Now more than ever we need this Council to redouble its efforts to address this global threat with the urgency it requires.
We must find the political will to use all tools available to eradicate this grave crisis and work towards abolishing famine and huger once and for all.
Mr. President,
WFP, OCHA and FAO face increasing challenges to deliver food aid and basic commodities and build resilience.
We need to give an answer to the following pressing questions:
First, with increasing food insecurity as a consequence of conflict, would further White Notes help facilitate earlier action by the Security Council, in response to conflict-induced hunger?
Second, what other actions could be taken to strengthen anticipatory measures by the Security Council?
Third, how best to ensure accountability for instances of conflict-induced hunger in violation of International Humanitarian Law?
On our opinion, humanitarian action and respect for International Humanitarian Law can only mitigate the effects of a conflict on food systems. Peaceful and negotiated political solutions to armed conflicts and violence are urgently needed.
Early warning and early action lead to prevention. Preventing conflict-induced hunger requires respect for International Humanitarian Law by the parties to the conflict, especially when huger is used as a method of war. There is also urgent need in empowering people to secure access to food, as well as in ensuring their participation in policy and decision-making processes.
This requires an integrated response to address the drivers of acute food insecurity and sustain financing for humanitarian crises. Those responsible for violations of International Humanitarian Law must be held accountable.
Independent, impartial, full, prompt, and effective investigations into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and International Humanitarian Law are equally important.
Thank you!
