EU Statement - Security Council: Arria Formula Meeting on “Conflict & Hunger”

Madam President,

Thank you Ireland for organising this meeting.

The EU is deeply concerned about the global rise in hunger. We know that conflict is the single greatest challenge to achieving zero hunger: 60 percent of the world’s 811 million hungry people live in areas affected by armed violence. If we want to end hunger, we need to prevent and stop conflicts.

Security Council Resolution 2417 addressed for the first time the link between hunger and conflict. It recognised the need to break the vicious cycle of conflict and food insecurity, emphasised the obligation of Member States to help ensure that food assistance reaches those in need and condemned the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

But this resolution is far from being implemented. The most recent example being the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If you put a city under siege, such as in Mariupol, you are deliberately denying civilians’ access to food. Russia’s aggression has resulted in a blocking of exports and a reduced production of key food commodities. As a consequence, global food prices are rising and food availability on the global market is affected. Countries with significant dependency on import and limited stocks, including some that are already affected by conflict, such as Yemen, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia, risk being the most exposed.

It is a top priority for the EU to address these issues. On 23 March, we presented a range of short-term and medium-term actions to enhance global food security, particularly in Ukraine, North Africa and the Middle East, which largely rely on imports of cereals, as well as in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. We are assisting Ukraine in developing and implementing a short and medium term food security strategy to ensure that inputs reach farms where possible, and that transportation and storage facilities are maintained to enable Ukraine to feed its citizens and to regain its export markets.

We are convinced of the necessity of the global community to speak with one voice and as such strongly support the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance set up by the SG. We will continue to monitor and assess the consequences of the war on global food security and welcome the recent policy recommendations of the Group in this regard. In addition, the EU has stepped up humanitarian assistance for the regions and population groups most affected by food insecurity, including the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Yemen and Afghanistan.

Madam President,

Along with a robust short-term response, we need to tackle the underlying causes of food and nutrition crises, addressing the humanitarian, development and peace dimensions, and enhance the sustainability of food systems. Advancing triple nexus approaches and strengthening coordination at UN and country level are key to ensure resilient and sustainable solutions. The EU is very active in this field and working closely with the UN family on concrete initiatives, targeting regions such as the Sahel.

Respect for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law is key to minimize the impact of conflict on civilians, including hunger.  And we need to hold those who violate IHL to account. We need to work in unity towards the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2417 as a crucial way of ensuring that we are on the correct track to end both: hunger and conflicts.

Thank you.