Latest news with #UNFoodSystemsSummit
Observer
6 days ago
- Health
- Observer
Achieving sustainability in food system
As conflicts and climate emergencies worsen and the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic persist, a glimmer of hope is found in a report indicating that global hunger has decreased. The Independent Stakeholders' Report at the UN Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa, co-authored by multiple United Nations agencies, found that global hunger declined slightly in 2024 after peaking in 2021 and 2022, thanks to progress in Asia and South America. 'It's inspiring to observe the global progress in combating hunger, but we must acknowledge that this progress is not uniform,' stated UN Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu at the summit. Nevertheless, 8.2 per cent of the global population — estimated between 638 and 720 million individuals — continued to experience hunger last year, and the conditions were deteriorating, especially in Africa, where the rate stands at 20.2 per cent. "Famine drives unrest and weakens harmony. Hunger must never be viewed as a tool of war," Antonio Guterres stated during the summit, using a video link. Food security, which ensures that everyone has access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food, is a complex challenge with significant ethical, economic and social implications. It is not only about having enough food, but also involves the accessibility, availability and proper utilisation of that food, as well as the stability of the food supply. The report highlighted the significant distance remaining to achieve its objective of eradicating global hunger by 2030. Present estimates indicate that approximately 512 million individuals will remain undernourished by the decade's conclusion, with 60 per cent residing in Africa. AFP quoted Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, as stating, 'Global hunger statistics have shown minor enhancements when compared to 2022 and 2023." Nonetheless, advancements have not been uniform worldwide, as food insecurity persisted in many sub-regions of Africa and Western Asia. A worsening hunger crisis has plagued Gaza for weeks due to Israel's tight control over all resources, igniting increasing global outrage over individuals perishing from starvation in the area. 'Conflict persists in fuelling hunger from Gaza to Sudan and elsewhere,' stated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his online address. The World Health Organization has alerted that malnutrition in the occupied Palestinian territory has hit "alarming levels" since Israel enforced a complete blockade on Gaza. During his speech at the Addis Ababa summit, Dr Saud bin Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, mentioned that Oman has made considerable progress in various food and nutrition security indicators. "Important initiatives encompass the Food Security Strategy, National Nutrition Strategy, National Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy, Environment and Natural Resources Strategy, and the Genetic Diversity Strategy for Local Livestock," he stated. Oman stands out among the Gulf countries for its strategic planning and rigorous policies aimed at preserving its status as a food-secure nation. Self-sufficiency in food, characterised by reduced reliance on imports, is continuously increasing in the Sultanate of Oman. Guided by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the country has developed a comprehensive food security strategy that outlines various goals aimed at enhancing the nation's food supply in areas such as production, importation, storage and distribution. Oman's 2040 Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy seeks to enhance sustainability in the agricultural sector through investments, boost economic income, generate job opportunities for citizens, assist rural communities and address structural disparities in agriculture. The nation placed third in the Arab region and 35th in the Global Food Security Index for 2022. The index relies on assessment criteria drawn from universally recognised components of the food security concept, which include food accessibility, food availability, food quality and safety, food sustainability and adaptability, with a comparison encompassing 113 nations.
Kuwait Times
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Kuwait Times
Hunger must never be ‘weapon of war': UN chief
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 percent 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 percent. '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 Zionist entity imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2. In late May, Zionist entity began allowing a trickle of aid to enter, but more than 100 NGOs have warned that 'mass starvation' is spreading. 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 percent of their gross domestic product to agriculture to help foster 'nutritional resilience'. 'But we cannot do this alone. We call on our partners to honor their commitments to finance and support African solutions,' he said. 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 percent 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. — AFP
Business Recorder
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Hunger must never be ‘weapon of war': UN
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 hunger and starvation. The African Union, for its part, urged donors to provide greater support for the world's poorest continent, which is struggling with poverty, unrest and the effects of climate change. 'Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war,' Antonio Guterres told the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa via video link. 'Climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains and humanitarian aid,' he said. 'Conflict continues to spread hunger from Gaza to Sudan and beyond,' he warned amid a severely deteriorating crisis in Gaza, whose population of more than two million is facing famine and malnutrition.
Japan Today
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Hunger must never be 'weapon of war': UN chief
By Dylan GAMBA 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 hunger and starvation. The African Union, for its part, urged donors to provide greater support for the world's poorest continent, which is struggling with poverty, unrest and the effects of climate change. "Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war," Antonio Guterres told the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa via video link. "Climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains and humanitarian aid," he said. "Conflict continues to spread hunger from Gaza to Sudan and beyond," he warned amid a severely deteriorating crisis in Gaza, whose population of more than two million is facing famine and malnutrition. The World Health Organization has warned malnutrition in the occupied Palestinian territory has reached "alarming levels" since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume but more than 100 NGOs have warned that "mass starvation" was spreading in the besieged territory. 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, said 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?" he asked. "Millions, certainly. The urgency of the situation is beyond doubt." Youssouf said that more than 280 million Africans were malnourished, with "nearly 3.4 million... on the brink of famine". Roughly 10 million people had been displaced due to drought, floods and cyclones, he added. Youssouf urged AU member states to devote 10 percent 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. Sudan is "the largest humanitarian catastrophe facing our world and also the least remembered", Othman Belbeisi, the regional director of the UN's migration agency, IOM, told reporters last week. Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commander of the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than seven million people. © 2025 AFP
Express Tribune
28-07-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Global hunger down slightly in 2024: UN
Global hunger fell slightly in 2024 but still saw between 638 and 720 million people suffering food shortages with rising numbers in Africa, a UN report said Monday. Around 8.2 percent of the world's population faced hunger last year, a fall of 0.3 percent compared to 2023, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, compiled by multiple United Nations agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme. But a major drop in Latin America and the Caribbean was balanced against a worsening situation in Africa, where the figure is 20.2 percent. The report, released at the UN Food Systems Summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, highlights how far the organisation is from meeting 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 percent of them in Africa, the report said. "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 isn't very good news." Four of the worst five countries for food security are in Africa: Nigeria, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. The report also highlights the situation in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, where the entire population is experiencing severe acute insecurity. "Lack of access has been ongoing for some months now and we are now seeing people starving," Lario said. "Access must be granted to provide life-saving humanitarian aid urgently," he added. The UN report highlights "persistent inequalities" with women and rural communities most affected, which widened last year over 2023. AFP
