Toespraak van minister Kaag voor VNVR in New York

Toespraak | 23-03-2018

Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Again, I would like to reiterate our thanks to Mark Lowcock and David Beasley for their comprehensive and informative briefings.

It is very clear that one of the main causes of hunger is conflict: man-made conflict. After decades of a steady decline in the number of people suffering from malnutrition and famine, today we are faced with a dangerous setback. A setback that endangers SDG 2: a world of zero hunger.

The unthinkable is happening: hunger is again on the rise.

Last year, the Secretary-General called on this Council to take action in response to no fewer than four major new famines: in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen and Nigeria. These famines were directly threatening 20 million people: men, women and children.

These and other examples of food insecurity have one important factor in common, and one alone: conflict.

In our world of abundance, technology and big data, famine is completely avoidable. Where it happens, it is man-made. It occurs where people harm other people. Regrettably, so-called ‘man-made famine’ is almost becoming a tautology.

While all-out famine has been barely averted in the four countries I just mentioned, many people remain extremely food insecure. This entails grave risks for regional stability, as conflict and hunger do not respect national borders or boundaries. Rising levels of hunger and conflict will lead to greater migration, forces displacement and put severe pressure on host countries in the region and beyond.

The fact that this is happening in the 21st century, in an age of unparalleled progress, technological possibilities and wealth, is shameful.

If people are the main cause of famine and food insecurity in conflict situations, then surely people are able to solve this issue. This means the end of famine depends on political will.

Armed conflict

Armed conflict affects food security in many ways. In modern warfare we see fields of crops being destroyed, bakeries burned and markets hit. We see parties to a conflict deliberately denying access to food aid for civilians in need. We see indiscriminate bombing that damages food sources, and prevents civilians from reaching them safely.

We see this all too often, in too many places.

Recently, I visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the camp of Katanika, an older lady told me that the all her family members had to flee their villages, leaving everything behind. They don’t have enough to eat and no longer have a way of producing their own food. Going back to their villages of origin is impossible: everything has been destroyed.

In South Sudan, army checkpoints prevent aid convoys from reaching their destination. The recent report by the Panel of Experts stated in no uncertain terms that starvation is being used as a weapon of war.

Elsewhere, like in Syria, we witness situations we would not have imagined possible in our era. To quote Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock from a briefing to this Council on February 28, so very recently: without humanitarian access, “we will soon see even more people dying from starvation and disease than from the bombing and shelling”.

Also in Yemen we see the denial of access having grave consequences for the number of people suffering from food insecurity.

Role of UNSC and call to action

Clearly, the problem is not a lack of rules. Rather, it is the persistent failure of warring parties to comply with those rules. This is what causes civilians in conflict to suffer even more.

Together, we – the international community – have agreed to regulate the conduct of warfare: to spare civilians in conflict to the greatest extent possible, and to respect above all their human dignity.

Flouting the law of war not only turns these norms into hollow phrases; it erodes the rules-based international order itself.

We cannot allow that to happen.

Hunger caused by conflict as well as starvation reflect our collective failure, and this Council has a collective responsibility to address this, and to prevent it from happening in the future.

For this, we need a detailed framework for action:

• First, we should reaffirm the norms established over the last 70 years: the prohibition of starvation as a method of warfare, the protection of civilian objects necessary for food production, and above all, guarantees for humanitarian access.
  International humanitarian law, which all warring parties are obliged to respect and to comply with, define our humanity. We must not allow these rules to unravel.
• Second, we should take a firm stance against violations of international law by holding to account those responsible for those violations. This can be done within national jurisdictions. But where those jurisdictions fail, international mechanisms come into play. In such situations, the most serious cases should be referred to the International Criminal Court.
• Third, we must step up our efforts to prevent food insecurity in conflict. The FAO and WFP and their partners have the means and technology to issue early warnings. They regularly report on this. In conflict situations, it is up to this Council to follow up by early action.
  Not only to prevent conflicts from exacerbating food insecurity in the short term by ensuring humanitarian access, but also to save societies from the perils of a generation raised in hunger. Therefore, we need the continuous engagement by this Council.
• Finally, humanitarian aid in itself is not a sustainable answer. It never has been. Only, and only, political solutions can truly end suffering. And here lies the most important task of this Council.

Conclusion

Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Hunger is the most avoidable of disasters. Starvation is the most heinous method of warfare.

It is upon us to ensure that starvation of civilians will become a crime of the past – a practice both forbidden and punishable. I am counting on your support and look forward to working with you to reach that important goal.