Protection of Civilians Side Event Addressing conflict-induced hunger: Implementing Resolution 2417 at National, Regional and Global Levels

Thank you, Ambassador, for giving me the floor. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, as we have heard from the panelists today there is a strong correlation between record levels of acute food insecurity globally and unprecedented levels of people affected by conflict. 

In the most recent Global Report on Food Crisis, conflict remains the primary driver of acute food insecurity globally – pushing nearly 135 million people in 20 countries/territories into acute food insecurity in 2023 – and that doesn't reflect subsequent increases, e.g. in Gaza.  

Since 2017, FAO together with WFP have been informing the UNSC members on the acute food insecurity situation, livelihood disruptions and the need for access and humanitarian assistance in countries and territories affected by conflict and insecurity.  

In the first quarter of 2024, Council members were briefed on how escalating conflict in Gaza and the Sudan is driving extraordinarily high levels of acute food insecurity. As noted by Oxfam, the Gaza Strip became the most rapidly deteriorating and severe food crisis in IPC history. 

In the Sudan, the findings of the Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CSFAM) showed a 46 percent year-on-year reduction in the production of major crops. Noting that Sudan already hosts the largest population in IPC 4 in the world (at least 4.9 million people), if this next main season fails, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance will balloon.  

It is equally important that the conflict and hunger agenda in New York advocates for and sheds light on conflict-affected, food crises countries that have not had the attention that they need globally, such as CAR, DRC, Mayanmar, Nigeria and Yemen. I urge member states to continue raising awareness on food security and protection needs of less recognized food crisis contexts that require the international communities’ immediate attention and support.  

As our NGO colleague mentioned earlier, peace is a prerequisite for food security and food security is critical to peace and stability.  

I’d like to make one final point: time-sensitive agricultural interventions in emergency settings, especially when combined with cash and food assistance, have enormous impacts on food security, nutrition and displacement, significantly cutting other humanitarian costs.  

As noted by Giulia, at the heart of this agenda is ultimately a need to protect civilians. In so many of the contexts facing food crises, populations traditionally rely heavily on agriculture, there are huge opportunities for us to reduce protection risks through comprehensive agricultural livelihood assistance, both early on in crises, and during protracted food crises.    

In such contexts, investing in a household’s ability to generate a stable income and contribute to their own food security through agriculture, can significantly reduce the protection risks that household is facing, by removing the necessity to engage in these negative coping strategies, which expose people, and in particular, women and girls, to serious risks of harm and exploitation.   

Thank you all for your continuous investment on this important issue. We cannot let the intensity and frequency of conflict-induced hunger become normalized.