ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The UN urges world leaders to immediately act to address the serious threats and deadly impacts of conflict, climate and food insecurity. This was expressed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, at a UN Security Council meeting discussing these challenges.
“Climate chaos and the food crisis are serious and increasing threats to global peace and security. It is appropriate that they be addressed by this Council,” said Guterres.
Representatives from nearly 90 countries participated in the conference, which was hosted by Guyana, which holds the Security Council presidency this month.
Guterres told ambassadors that climate disasters and conflict were both fueling inequality, threatening livelihoods and forcing people to flee their homes. These are also the two main drivers of the global food crisis, with nearly 174 million people worldwide set to be affected by 2022.
The UN Secretary General was disappointed that the world is filled with examples of how bad the relationship between hunger and conflict is. One example is Gaza, where according to Guterres, not a single citizen has enough food.
“Of the 700,000 hungry people in the world, four out of five live on that small plot of land,” Guterres said.
Additionally, climate disasters add another dimension to suffering in many places. The 14 countries most at risk from climate change are experiencing conflict, and 13 of them are also facing humanitarian crises.
Affected countries include Haiti, where the storm combined with gangster violence and lawlessness, put millions of people at risk.
In Ethiopia, nearly 16 million people are estimated to need food aid after a war followed by a drought – a situation made worse by an influx of refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Sudan.
“Meanwhile, globally, we face the risk of a resurgence of food inflation as drought hits the Panama Canal and violence engulfs the Red Sea – throwing supply chains into disarray,” Guterres explained.
With the climate crisis set to get worse as emissions continue to rise and hunger increases every year, Guterres called for urgent action for all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law.
“At the same time, humanitarian operations must be fully funded to prevent disasters and conflicts that lead to famine,” Guterres said, noting that last year, less than 40 percent of such operations were funded.
Guterres further called for massive investment to create a healthy, just and sustainable food system. Other steps include building and funding social protection systems and strengthening and updating global peace and security frameworks.
“Countries must address the climate crisis to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. “Rich countries must also gradually stop using fossil fuels,” said Guterres.
The international community is also asked to take climate adaptation seriously, including by ensuring that everyone around the world is protected by an early warning system by 2027.
Greater investment in the SDGs also needs to be made, and Guterres recalled his proposal for a $500 billion annual SDG stimulus plan to encourage sustainable development and climate action.
The head of the UN climate change secretariat, UNFCCC, suggested that the UN Security Council regularly request the latest information on climate security risks. Simon Stiell added that every country must implement a national climate action plan to protect people, livelihoods and the natural environment.
“Investing in climate resilience and adaptation, including changing agricultural practices towards regenerative food production while working to care for and conserve nature, will not only reduce the damage from extreme climate events, but can also ensure that future food security needs are guaranteed in a sustainable and universal manner , leaving no one behind,” Stiell said.
Countries also need funds for adaptation, especially developing countries that are vulnerable to climate shocks. However, they currently need $2.4 trillion annually to build a clean energy economy and adapt to climate impacts, and funding gaps remain. (UN News)
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