The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, announced, Thursday before the Security Council, the mobilization of 30 million dollars to meet the urgent needs in terms of food security and nutrition in Niger, Mali, Chad and the Burkina Faso.
Speaking at an open debate on conflict and food security, hosted by the United States, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN executive body for the month of May, Guterres said that This aid, provided by the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), brings to nearly $95 million the funding allocated to the Sahel region since the beginning of the year.
The UN SG also said “deeply concerned” by the food security situation in the Horn of Africa, which is suffering from the longest drought in four decades.
“More than 18 million people are affected, and the World Food Program (WFP) warns that millions of people in Somalia risk starvation within months”warned the SG of the UN during this meeting chaired by the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
He further noted that the state “perilous” food security in Ethiopia and Somalia “is aggravated by the continuation of the conflict and deep insecurity”noting that the war in Ukraine has added a “frightening new dimension to this picture of world hunger”.
In this context, Mr. Guterres called on all members of the Security Council to do everything in their power to silence the guns and promote peace, in Ukraine and around the world.
The Security Council’s public debate aims to identify ways to break the cycle of food insecurity caused by conflict. It is also about examining ways to mitigate these impacts, including by strengthening the global food supply in a manner consistent with international trade obligations, promoting compliance with international humanitarian law obligations and mobilizing resources and collective action to improve food security and resilience, particularly in the least developed countries, according to a letter from the presidency of the Security Council.
On Wednesday, the United States hosted a ministerial meeting on hunger at United Nations headquarters in New York.