New York (Union)
The UAE affirmed that prevention of food insecurity is possible through concerted efforts to enhance food security and consider employing innovative solutions, warning that the world cannot fail to address this challenge.
In a statement before the UN Security Council on famine and global food insecurity resulting from conflicts, the UAE stressed the close link between food insecurity, conflicts and instability, saying that “ensuring global food security requires collective participation.” .
In the statement, Her Excellency Noura Al-Kaabi warned that more than 700 million people suffer from hunger around the world, while the access of about 2.5 billion people to food is still restricted as part of last year’s statistics.
Her Excellency said, “It is important that those who are able to support and facilitate humanitarian efforts perform their inherent duty,” explaining that the UAE has contributed more than $1.4 billion to address food insecurity over the past five years.
She added, “Global food insecurity is not limited to one cause only, and although the causes associated with it are not simple, the human cost is clear to all,” explaining that the suffering of acute malnutrition extends to 45 million children under the age of five, and is forced Millions of people face the dangers of irregular migration.
And she continued, “We are fully aware that food insecurity is closely related to conflicts and instability, and despite their interdependent interdependence with each other, whether in the Security Council or at the international level, we have no way but to find serious and sustainable solutions.”
She stressed the possibility of preventing food insecurity, saying: “Ending food insecurity and the spread of famine is a political choice, and it is also a collective endeavor, as no one should suffer from starvation.”
She stated that international humanitarian law is very clear in situations of conflict, where the parties to the armed conflict must continue to exercise caution, and avoid compromising the resources needed to produce food and provide drinking water, which requires that civilian objects not be targeted at all, and this is not only a moral duty, but also a legal duty. We are required to uphold these foundations, calling on all parties to the conflict to strictly abide by their responsibilities.
She said that conflicts, as in the case of Ukraine, can cause global food insecurity, adding that the indirect effects of conflicts in global markets mean that those who live far from any battlefield often devote their lives to securing food for their families, especially in The Middle East and parts of Africa, where countries depend heavily on food imports, particularly cereals.
She stated that in such cases, we must support national strategies and develop innovative approaches and partnerships that meet the scale of the challenge, adding: “We should deepen international partnerships and make the most of international and regional multilateral forums.”
Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi added, “We have seen the potential of multilateral efforts to reduce food insecurity, through the launch of the Black Sea Grain Transportation Initiative, whose global importance became clear when we witnessed the rise in wheat prices resulting from the suspension of the agreement,” expressing the UAE’s regret for this event.
She explained: “We must also kindle the flame of ambition and strengthen international cooperation to address the growing driver of food insecurity, which is climate change, as the month of July recorded the highest temperature ever compared to previous years, which necessitates unifying the goal at the highest levels, in order to reflect the disturbing global trend in this regard.” field by taking real action to limit global warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius, thus ensuring climate adaptation with decisive measures to mitigate risks, especially in fragile areas.
Her Excellency continued, “The phrase (joining hands) really means uniting all efforts and voices, and from this standpoint, those disproportionately affected by food insecurity and climate change, especially women and youth, must be given priority when designing response plans. Acknowledging this disparity is not enough, but rather We must encourage the full, equal and meaningful participation of all.
The minister called for adopting new approaches to face this challenge, praising at the same time the sincere efforts of governments, international and regional organizations, private sector actors, and humanitarian institutions, and the important achievements they have made in this field, but she warned that food insecurity rates continue. On the rise, which requires expanding the scope of our approaches in order to be able to make a tangible difference in confronting this phenomenon.
Partnerships between the public and private sectors are vital to addressing this enormous challenge, and the UAE was aware of this early, and proceeded to actively support the coordination of partnerships between the public and private sectors. An example of this is the annual campaign of Mohammed bin Rashid’s global initiatives, “Stopping a Billion Meals,” according to Statement.
Her Excellency Noura Al Kaabi said: “The UAE and the United States of America also launched in 2021 (the mission of agricultural innovation for climate), in order to stimulate innovation in climate-smart agriculture, as the mission is currently working with more than 50 government partners, the private sector and civil society, and has It has raised more than $13 billion to accelerate positive transformation of agricultural and food systems around the world.
The statement concluded, saying: “The world cannot maintain peace and security in the absence of one of the basic needs of humanity, and the trend we are witnessing today indicates the need to redouble our efforts, and I hope to seize the opportunity of this meeting, to take more coordinated actions at the global level in order to overcome This challenge.
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