UN chief urges hunger never weapon of war
Global Food Summit Brings Eye to Gaza and Africa
UN Food Systems Summit Highlights Crisis
- UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres warned that food must not be used as a weapon of war.
- He emphasized that climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains and humanitarian aid.
- The summit, held via video link in Addis Ababa, underscored that conflict is pushing hunger from Gaza to Sudan and beyond.
Gaza Faces Alarming Levels of Malnutrition
Since Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2, the World Health Organization has described malnutrition in the occupied Palestinian territory as“alarming levels.”
Although the United States and other Western nations have cut aid, NGOs warn that mass starvation is spreading in the besieged territory.
African Union Calls for Greater Support
The African Union, via its executive commission, urged donors to provide greater support for the world’s poorest continent. It blamed climate shocks, conflicts and economic disruptions for the rise of food insecurity across Africa.
- More than 280 million Africans are malnourished, with nearly 3.4 million on the brink of famine.
- Roughly 10 million people have been displaced due to drought, floods and cyclones.
- African heads urged member states to devote 10 percent of their GDP to agriculture to foster nutritional resilience.
Sudan Is the Largest Humanitarian Catastrophe
Othman Belbeisi, the regional director of the UN migration agency IOM, described Sudan as the largest humanitarian catastrophe facing the world and also the least remembered. Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle that has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than seven million people.
