A medic examines a child for malnutrition in Khartoum, Sudan. UN Security Council discusses the link between conflict and famine Peace and Security
On Monday, the UN Security Council is hosting an open debate on the issue of food security and the role of hunger as a consequence and factor of conflicts. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized in her speech that war and famine “often represent two sides of the same crisis.”
She noted that armed conflict destroys farmland, markets and roads, while hunger “fuels desperation, and desperation fuels displacement and violence.”
It is armed conflict that is causing food shortages in 14 of 16 global famine hotspots, she said.
“In Sudan, where the World’s biggest food crisis, violence fuels famine in Darfur and Kordofan. In Gaza, where famine was confirmed in August, the situation remains dire. In Haiti, Yemen, the Sahel and the Democratic Republic of Congo, millions of people are trapped in a vicious cycle of hunger and conflict,” said Mohammed.
The First Deputy Secretary General drew attention to the global consequences of instability: “The war in Europe disrupted grain exports, which caused food crises in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Markets panicked, inflation soared, and millions of people went hungry.”
“Food itself has become a weapon through the tactics of deliberately depriving people of food, which we are seeing, including in Gaza,” she warned. “Agricultural systems are collapsing, trade flows are being blocked, infrastructure and food security facilities are collapsing.”She proposed four courses of action: ensuring humanitarian access and respect for international humanitarian law, building sustainable food systems through long-term investment and integration with social services and markets, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, and a political settlement as the only sustainable solution.
Humanitarian access and protection of civilians persons
UN Assistant Chief of Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya, speaking on behalf of UN Deputy Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, said the most pressing food crises – including famines in Gaza and Sudan – are primarily caused by armed conflict and violence. She added that in Yemen, “destroying infrastructure is hampering imports, ongoing conflict is causing displacement and deepening economic decline, and restrictions on humanitarian access and insecurity are hampering the delivery of aid.”
“Hunger exposes people to higher risks of sexual exploitation, violence and forced displacement as people struggle simply to feed themselves. Women especially suffer, often putting the needs of the family above their own needs,” the speaker emphasized. Msuya recalled the provisions of international humanitarian law: “In armed conflicts, it is necessary to protect the civilian population and civilian objects. The use of starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited. It is also prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or disable objects vital to civilian survival.”
The role of early warning
In turn, the Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Maximo Torero, spoke about the role of the Integrated Classification of Food Security Phases (IPC) for monitoring crises and taking timely measures. The FCI “provides a common currency-like ratio for analyzing food security and nutrition in emergencies” around the world and helps determine “whether full-scale famine is occurring or predicted in a country.”
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Over the past year, the Famine Review Committee has confirmed famine three times: twice in Sudan (December 2024 and November 2025) and once in Gaza (August 2025).
“This is the first time that famine has caused by a conflict – confirmed more than once a year,” the expert noted.
Torero emphasized the value of early warning: “Waiting until famine occurs before taking decisive action is acting too late. In Sudan and Gaza, the ICF provided early signals calling for immediate action to prevent the worst consequences.”
Africa: A Major Food Disaster
African Union Special Envoy for Food Systems Ibrahim Mayaki noted in his speech that “Africa has become the epicenter of global hunger, with 20.4 percent of the region’s population experiencing food insecurity, twice the global level.”
In Sudan in particular, 25.6 million people – 54 percent of the population – suffer from nutritional deficiencies. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Sahel, the situation is also dire, with millions displaced and billions of dollars in economic damage.
“Malnutrition alone drains more than $25 billion from African economies each year. Without urgent action, millions of people will face catastrophic famine and entire regions risk irreversible decline,” the speaker warned.
At the same time, according to Mayaki, Africa has lost 34 percent of agricultural productivity since 1961 and bears 35 percent of global losses from extreme weather events. Only 40 percent of the continent’s inhabitants have access to early warning systems. Food imports in 2025 are projected to be $110 billion, up from $43 billion in 2019.
Mayaki also noted the decline in humanitarian funding. Thus, support for the food sector fell by 30 percent in 2023, with further cuts in 2024.
“The link between conflict and hunger in Africa is deep and mutually reinforcing,” stressed the African Union Special Envoy
“Without peace, Africa will not be able to feed itself, and Without food security, the world will not be sustainable,” he concluded, calling for protecting food systems, integrating hunger indicators into early warning and monitoring, and expanding international funding in line with Africa’s strategic vision.