His Excellency Irfaan Ali in his capacity as the President of the United Nations Security Council today convened a high-level United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on the correlation between food security and climate change in the maintenance of peach and security. In his address to the Security Council President Ali highlighted several instances of food insecurity and degradation of the environment because of ongoing wars
The President added that the issue at hand is one that deserves to be addressed at an international level, as millions of people live in food insecurity due to wars. Noting the role that armed conflict can play in the rise of food insecurity, he added that the “interrelationship between climate change food security and peace and security is clear.”
Dr. Ali posited that an estimated 149 million Africans are facing acute food insecurity, a 12 million rise from the previous year. Approximately 122 million people, or 82 percent of those experiencing acute food insecurity, live in conflict-affected nations.
Further, he underscored that as the challenges to international peace and security continue to evolve, it is necessary for the world’s understanding and approach to these challenges to continue to evolve to effectively address them. Dr. Ali admonished the Security Council to adopt a targeted approach to deal with climate and food
Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, stated in his introductory remarks that there is growing evidence of the interdependence of climate change, food insecurity, and conflict, with each having a direct and indirect impact on the other. He also argued that the Security Council must take a methodical and strategic response to thesse situations.