Hunger must never be 'weapon of war', UN chief tells Africa food summit
The African Union urged donors to provide greater support for the world's poorest continent, which is struggling with poverty, unrest and the effects of climate change.
A new report co-authored by several United Nations agencies found global hunger fell slightly in 2024 thanks to progress in Asia and South America.
But 8.2 per cent of the world -- an estimated 638 to 720 million people -- still faced hunger last year, and the situation was worsening particularly in Africa, where the figure is 20.2 per cent.
"Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war," Antonio Guterres told the UN Food Systems Summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa via video link.
"Climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains and humanitarian aid," he said.
He highlighted the worsening crises in Sudan and Gaza.
The World Health Organization has warned that malnutrition in the occupied Palestinian territory has reached "alarming levels" since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2.
In late May, Israel began allowing a trickle of aid to enter, but more than 100 NGOs have warned that "mass starvation" is spreading.
Millions going hungry
The summit takes place against the backdrop of aid cuts by the United States and other Western nations that are badly affecting much of the developing world.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, head of the African Union's executive commission, told the summit that food insecurity was on the rise across Africa, blaming "climate shocks, conflicts and economic disruptions".
"At this crucial moment, how many children and mothers on the continent are sleeping hungry? Millions, certainly," he said.
Youssouf said more than 280 million Africans were malnourished, with "nearly 3.4 million... on the brink of famine" and some 10 million displaced by drought, floods and cyclones.
He urged AU member states to devote 10 per cent of their gross domestic product to agriculture to help foster "nutritional resilience".
"But we cannot do this alone. We call on our partners to honour their commitments to finance and support African solutions," he said.
'Not good news'
The UN report made clear how far there was to go to meet its goal of ending world hunger by 2030.
Current projections suggest some 512 million people will still be undernourished by the end of the decade, 60 per cent of them in Africa.
"Global hunger figures have slightly improved compared to 2022 and 2023," Alvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, told AFP.
"But we have not come back to the levels of five years ago. This is not very good news."
Four of the worst five countries for food security are in Africa: Nigeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia.
The UN report highlights "persistent inequalities", with women and rural communities most affected, and the gap widening further over the previous year.
"Despite adequate global food production, millions of people go hungry or are malnourished because safe and nutritious food is not available, not accessible or, more often, not affordable," it said.
It found the response to price spikes between 2021 and 2023 was "more coordinated, informed and restrained" than the previous inflationary shock during the 2007-08 financial crisis.
Some 2.3 billion people had to occasionally skip a meal in 2024 and are considered moderately or severely food insecure -- 335 million more than in 2019.
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Jordan Times
5 days ago
- Jordan Times
Hunger must never be 'weapon of war', UN chief tells Africa food summit
ADDIS ABABA — UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday said food must not be used as a weapon of war as world leaders gathered for a food summit in Africa, where 280 million people face chronic hunger. The African Union urged donors to provide greater support for the world's poorest continent, which is struggling with poverty, unrest and the effects of climate change. A new report co-authored by several United Nations agencies found global hunger fell slightly in 2024 thanks to progress in Asia and South America. But 8.2 per cent of the world -- an estimated 638 to 720 million people -- still faced hunger last year, and the situation was worsening particularly in Africa, where the figure is 20.2 per cent. "Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war," Antonio Guterres told the UN Food Systems Summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa via video link. "Climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains and humanitarian aid," he said. He highlighted the worsening crises in Sudan and Gaza. The World Health Organization has warned that malnutrition in the occupied Palestinian territory has reached "alarming levels" since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2. In late May, Israel began allowing a trickle of aid to enter, but more than 100 NGOs have warned that "mass starvation" is spreading. Millions going hungry The summit takes place against the backdrop of aid cuts by the United States and other Western nations that are badly affecting much of the developing world. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, head of the African Union's executive commission, told the summit that food insecurity was on the rise across Africa, blaming "climate shocks, conflicts and economic disruptions". "At this crucial moment, how many children and mothers on the continent are sleeping hungry? Millions, certainly," he said. Youssouf said more than 280 million Africans were malnourished, with "nearly 3.4 million... on the brink of famine" and some 10 million displaced by drought, floods and cyclones. He urged AU member states to devote 10 per cent of their gross domestic product to agriculture to help foster "nutritional resilience". "But we cannot do this alone. We call on our partners to honour their commitments to finance and support African solutions," he said. 'Not good news' The UN report made clear how far there was to go to meet its goal of ending world hunger by 2030. Current projections suggest some 512 million people will still be undernourished by the end of the decade, 60 per cent of them in Africa. "Global hunger figures have slightly improved compared to 2022 and 2023," Alvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, told AFP. "But we have not come back to the levels of five years ago. This is not very good news." Four of the worst five countries for food security are in Africa: Nigeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. The UN report highlights "persistent inequalities", with women and rural communities most affected, and the gap widening further over the previous year. "Despite adequate global food production, millions of people go hungry or are malnourished because safe and nutritious food is not available, not accessible or, more often, not affordable," it said. It found the response to price spikes between 2021 and 2023 was "more coordinated, informed and restrained" than the previous inflationary shock during the 2007-08 financial crisis. Some 2.3 billion people had to occasionally skip a meal in 2024 and are considered moderately or severely food insecure -- 335 million more than in 2019.
Al Bawaba
20-07-2025
- Al Bawaba
Gaza's children are dying of hunger—international inaction raises alarm
Published July 20th, 2025 - 05:13 GMT ALBAWABA - The Gaza Strip is going through a terrible humanitarian disaster. There isn't enough food for everyone, and more and more people are dying from not getting enough food. Even though there are many signs of famine, the UN has not yet officially declared Gaza a famine-stricken area. This has raised questions about the delay, especially since the Israeli blockade is still keeping essential aid from getting to civilians. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) says that Israel is purposely starving the people of Gaza, including one million children. According to the Government Media Office of Gaza, over 650,000 children are in danger of dying from hunger, and 60,000 pregnant women are in situations that could kill them. UNICEF also revealed that 112 children are admitted to hospitals every day because they are severely malnourished. At least 620 children have died because of hunger, and 70 of those deaths happened just in June. Reports from the ground show that people are passing out in the streets because they are hungry, and Gaza's health care system and access to clean water keep getting worse. Blockade on purpose and stopped aid Since breaking a ceasefire deal in March, Israel has made it very hard for humanitarian help to get in. The "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation," which is connected to the United States, took over distributing aid in May. Since then, there has been a lot of chaos and violence, with about 1,000 Palestinians killed and thousands more hurt when Israeli forces allegedly opened fire near aid centers. Try to stop eating,how long can you tolerate? Hour? Two hours? Day? Two days? Inevitably, in the end, you will eat to satisfy your hunger. Imagine that people of Gaza spend hours and days hungry, but there is no food to satisfy their hunger. Gazans are being killed by starving — ICHIGO🇵🇸 (@livpalestin) July 19, 2025 UN Inaction and Delays in Classifying Famine Even though the UN has warned many times and said that everyone in Gaza is at risk of going hungry, no public statement has been made. Experts say the delay could be because Israel doesn't let UN agencies work in the area or because there are disagreements over whether the official standards for famine have been met. People who fight for human rights, like Salah Abdel Ati, say that the UN's wait is not necessary. He and others say that Gaza is already going through "catastrophic hunger," which is the fifth and worst level on the UN's scale for food security. All of these things are true, according to experts, for Gaza. The problem is made even worse by things like the collapse of the healthcare system, the damage to housing and roads, the lack of clean water, high unemployment, and rising food prices. Effects on People and Social Collapse More than 70 children under five have died in the last few weeks, making them the most vulnerable group. Medicine shortages and poor nutrition are making things worse for the elderly and chronically sick. Women who are pregnant are more likely to have a loss, give birth early, or have a baby with a defect. A lot of people having to move, infrastructure being destroyed, and social ties breaking down are all adding to the mental toll. Experts say that people who are hungry and desperate could fight with each other in communities as they struggle for limited resources. Calls for Quick Action Experts in law and humanitarian aid say that the rest of the world, especially Arab and Islamic countries, hasn't done enough to get Israel to let aid in. The inclusion of humanitarian aid in political talks was also attacked, with some saying it was against international humanitarian law. Representatives from UNRWA said again that sending help is still subject to Israeli approval. There have been some responses from European countries, but UNRWA stressed that promises made at the political level need to be carried out on the ground. The situation in Gaza keeps getting worse, even though people are getting more and more angry. The lack of a formal declaration of famine could make the international reaction even longer. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Al Bawaba
15-07-2025
- Al Bawaba
AUC Contributes to a Groundbreaking International Study About Novel Factors Accelerating Aging
A team from the American University in Cairo (AUC), led by Mohamed Salama, professor at the Institute of Global health and Human Ecology and senior fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) and Sara Moustafa, a postdoc in AUC's aging research group, contributed to a groundbreaking international study published in Nature Medicine that reveals that our environments—including pollution, social inequality, and weak democratic institutions—significantly accelerate how our lifespan ages. The research, involving 161,981 individuals across 40 countries, introduces a global exposome framework and shows that multiple exposures can predict bio-behavioral age gaps (BBAGs), a novel measure of accelerated aging. BBAGs are the difference between a person's actual age and the age-predicted from their health, cognition, education, functionality, and risk factors like cardiometabolic health or sensory study—led by a multinational team from Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America—analyzed environmental, social, and political factors and their impact on brain aging using advanced artificial intelligence and epidemiological modeling. The results show that where you live—your exposome—can age you several years faster, increasing the risk for cognitive and functional AUC team contributed to this work building on the impactful work done at AUC focusing on aging and brain health. 'Diversity in research is not a luxury anymore,' said Salama. 'Including countries from Africa and the Middle East is essential to understand the global risks and challenges for brain health. Our team at AUC has been successful in contributing to international research in this field promising to better understand determinants of healthy aging in Egypt and adding to the global knowledge.' Agustin Ibanez, corresponding author of the study and researcher at the GBHI and Latin American Brain Health Institute noted that people need to stop thinking of brain health as a purely individual responsibility and consider a more ecological and neurosyndemic framework. 'Our biological age reflects the world we live in. Exposure to toxic air, political instability, and inequality, of course, affect society, but also shapes our health,' he said. The findings of this study present the first evidence that combined structural exposures beyond individual lifestyle are deeply embedded in our aging process. In an age of rising populism, environmental degradation, and global displacement, understanding how environments age the brains is a scientific, political, ethical, and health imperative.'This is not a metaphor: environmental and political conditions leave measurable fingerprints across 40 countries, revealing a clear gradient of accelerated aging from Africa to Latin America, Asia, and Europe,' said Hernan Hernandez, first author of the types of exposures were linked to faster aging: physical factors such as poor air quality; social factors, including economic inequality, gender inequality, and migration; sociopolitical factors, such as lack of political representation, limited party freedom, restricted voting rights, unfair elections, and weak democracies. Importantly, higher BBAGs were associated with real-world consequences: they predicted future declines in both cognitive abilities and daily functioning. People with larger age gaps were likelier to show significant losses in these areas over time.'Whether a person ages in a healthy or accelerated way is shaped not only by individual choices or biology, but also by their physical, social, and political environments—and these effects vary widely between countries,' said Sandra Beaz, co-corresponding author and Atlantic Fellow of the GBHI at Trinity study redefines healthy aging as an environmental, social, and political phenomenon. Public health strategies must expand beyond lifestyle prescriptions to address structural inequalities and governance Hernando Santamaria-Garcia, co-first author and a GBHI fellow, 'Governments, international organizations, and public health leaders must urgently act to reshape environments, from reducing air pollution to strengthening democratic institutions.' He added that these go beyond climate or governance issues to inform urgent health interventions. The study affirmed that to promote healthy aging and reduce dementia risk worldwide, we must intervene upstream, where inequality is produced, where politics shape lives, and where environments silently erode healthy aging.
