Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Conflict-related Food Insecurity.
Famine in the 21st century is not a natural disaster - it is a man-made tragedy. The evidence is clear: nearly 300 million people face acute food insecurity, most in countries affected by conflict. Across Sudan, Gaza, the Sahel, Yemen and Myanmar, conflict has devastated harvests, shattered supply chains, and uprooted families from the land they depend on.
I will make three points.
First, the Security Council has a responsibility to address conflict, to prevent escalation, and to support efforts towards inclusive and sustainable peace. We have the tools.
Resolutions 2417 and 2573 are unequivocal: starvation as a weapon of war and attacks on civilian infrastructure are unacceptable. We urge all Member States to strengthen monitoring, reporting, and accountability for violations, and to uphold their obligations under these resolutions.
Second, international humanitarian law must be upheld. The United Kingdom calls on all parties to conflict to comply fully with international humanitarian law and allow rapid, unimpeded humanitarian access. When aid is blocked or delayed, it is the most vulnerable who suffer first - families are cut off from food and children face acute malnutrition.
In April, the UK launched the Conflict, Hunger and International Humanitarian Law Handbook, offering practical guidance to minimise food insecurity during conflict.
Third, we must act to prevent hunger wherever it occurs. Conflict breeds hunger, but hunger can also fuel instability and further conflict. The UK's Resilience and Adaptation Fund, alongside our humanitarian financing, is supporting longer term solutions in fragile and conflict-affected states - building local systems that protect people, markets, and livelihoods in the face of climatic and other shocks.
We are investing in climate resilient agriculture, supporting local food systems, and championing the participation of women and youth in building resilient communities.
The UK remains committed to supporting food security and tackling conflict-driven hunger. We are the largest bilateral donor to the Food and Agriculture Organization and, this year alone, contributed over $540 million to the World Food Programme for critical interventions including in Palestine and Sudan.
The UK will continue to press for sustained humanitarian access and invest in resilience - so that conflict does not condemn communities to hunger. We all must use the tools at our disposal to break this cycle.
