FAO Brussels briefs Council of the EU Working Party on humanitarian and food aid

FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji briefed delegates from the Council Working Party on Humanitarian Aid and Food Aid (COHAFA) on the current global acute food insecurity situation. Invited by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, his presentation shed a light on the actions needed to address the crisis on two levels: within the humanitarian response itself and bridging the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus.

Representatives from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) also participated at the COHAFA meeting. 
The briefing was an opportunity to update EU Members on the work of FAO and WFP in responding to and preventing food crises with a focus on areas where scaled-up action is needed. The presentation coincided with the global launch of the 2023 edition of the Global Food Crisis Report, which showed that conflicts and mass displacement continue to be among the key drivers of global hunger.

FAO’s presentation focused on the critical role of agriculture as a cost-effective frontline humanitarian response and as an ideal entry-point to the HDP nexus. The Global Network’s engagement in country and regional dialogues on addressing the root causes of food crises were also reflected. The presentation also highlighted actions needed to address high and rising acute food insecurity, accompanied by concrete examples of what FAO is doing in food crisis contexts. 

Read more about FAO’s work on emergencies and resilience here.