"Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad,Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,At Security Council Ministerial High-level Open Debate on Food Under Fire: The Security Councils Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises(25 August 2026)****Madam President,We thank Denmark for convening this important debate.2. We also thank the Secretary-General for his insightful remarks and recommendations that he offered today. Let me also thank Mr. Carl Skau and Dr. Benoist for their valuable briefings. We agree that we need to see how to move from a conflict-hunger cycle to a peace-development cycle. 3. The global environment today demonstrates a disturbing two-way dynamic: conflicts including situations of foreign occupation are driving hunger on a massive scale, while hunger and economic desperation are, in turn, aggravating fragility and heightening the risk of conflict.4. The facts before us are sobering. The 2026 Global Report on Food Crises found that 266 million people faced acute food insecurity last year. Acute hunger has doubled over the past decade. Today, 70 per cent of acutely food-insecure people live in fragile or conflict-affected regions. The latest FAO-WFP assessment identifies thirteen hunger hotspots, with conflict and violence the primary driver in twelve of them. 5. Resolution 2417 recognized this nexus eight years ago. The challenge before us today is not the absence of norms, but their effective implementation, as emphasized by the SG, the briefers and many Council members. Madam President,6. It is a matter of grave concern that starvation and collective punishment continue to be used to advance military or political objectives, in stark violation of International Humanitarian Law and Security Council resolutions.7. Nowhere has the failure to uphold these obligations been more stark than in Gaza. The deprivation of food and other essentials, restrictions on humanitarian assistance and destruction of civilian infrastructure have inflicted unbearable suffering on the Palestinian people.8. Patterns of devastation are also evident in Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and other protracted conflict situations, including occupied territories, where livelihoods have collapsed and millions are now dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival.Madam President,9. Recent developments have demonstrated that food security consequences of conflict can extend far beyond the immediate theatre of hostilities. The conflict in Ukraine was a stark illustration: disruptions to Black Sea grain exports, fertilizer supplies and maritime transportation contributed to sharp pressures on global food and freight costs. Similarly, impediments in the Strait of Hormuz presented another serious stress on the energy, fertilizer and shipping markets. Given that the Strait carries around one-third of globally traded crude oil and a significant share of global fertilizer trade, prolonged disruption risks cascading effects on agricultural production, transportation costs and food prices. The attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have further exacerbated the situation. 10. Regrettably, these impacts are felt most severely by developing countries already facing fiscal constraints and high dependence on food and energy imports. 11. We believe that food security in conflict zones and the boarder issues that have discussed in this debate today must be addressed through a comprehensive and principled approach:First, international humanitarian law must be upheld - fully, consistently and without selectivity. Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is clearly prohibited. Food, water, agricultural assets and other objects indispensable to civilian survival must be protected.Second, humanitarian assistance cannot be subjected to political or military calculations. There must be safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access. Humanitarian personnel must be able to operate safely, and assistance must reach those in need without impediment. Accountability for deliberate obstruction or delays is a must.Third, early warning leads to early action. Resolution 2417 provides an important basis for alerting the Council when conflicts threaten widespread food insecurity. Yet warnings serve little purpose if the international community comes into action only after hunger has turned into famine. Credible assessments by the Secretary-General, WFP, FAO and other relevant UN entities should enable timely attention and preventive engagement. 12. We must also acknowledge that humanitarian action alone cannot substitute for political solutions. So long as conflicts remain unresolved, humanitarian needs will continue to multiply and food insecurity will deepen. We must prevent and resolve conflicts through diplomacy, by advancing dialogue and peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with the UN Charter, international law and relevant resolutions of the Security Council, as also outlined in Security Council resolution 2788 adopted last year.13. Pakistan continues to make concrete contributions towards that end, including through our participation in various peacekeeping missions, support for political processes, and through our ongoing mediation efforts to address the tensions prevailing in West Asia and promote implementation of the Islamabad MoU between Iran and the United States in close cooperation with our partners from the Gulf region and beyond. Madam President,14. Eight years after the adoption of Resolution 2417, the essential lessons are clear. The interlinkage between peace and security and development is well established. Ultimately, there can be no lasting food security without peace. The task of this Council is therefore not merely to respond to the consequences of hunger, but to discharge its primary responsibility to prevent and resolve the conflicts that produce it.15. Pakistan will continue to support collective efforts towards that objective.I thank you.****"