HAMILTON, Canada

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya on Monday warned the Security Council that escalating violence in conflict zones is driving severe hunger and leaving millions of civilians at risk.

"The more intense the violence, the worse the food insecurity. Attacks harming civilians and civilian infrastructure leave fields abandoned, disrupt food supply chains, drive up prices, and destroy livelihoods," said Joyce Msuya, the UN's assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, at the UN Security Council's meeting on conflict-related food insecurity.

Highlighting the human toll, she warned that "hunger is exposing people to greater risks of sexual exploitation and abuse and forced displacement as people struggle simply to feed themselves," adding that "women are especially impacted, often going without to prioritize their families."

"In armed conflicts, international humanitarian law is clear: Civilians and civilian objects must be protected. The use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited. So is attacking, destroying, removing, or rendering useless objects indispensable to civilian survival," she stressed.

On the situation in Gaza, she said that "the UN and our partners are seizing every opening to save lives" since the start of the ceasefire on Oct. 10.

While the UN continues its efforts to provide food and aid to those in need, she stressed that "access is still restricted by limits at border crossings, delays to aid convoys, and bureaucratic impediments that slow the entry of vital supplies—and, in some cases, staff."

In Sudan, she said, "Conflict has shattered food systems and displaced millions. More than 21 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity—the largest such crisis in the world. Yet many areas remain inaccessible to humanitarians. People trapped between front lines are cut off from assistance and enduring extreme hunger."

Msuya stressed that reducing bureaucratic hurdles, clearing unexploded ordnance, and ensuring funding are essential to sustaining operations.

"Without political will, even the best coordination, negotiation, and funding will fall short. Preventing and ending hunger is not simply a logistical or financial challenge; it demands sustained political engagement," she said.

Proposing four actions, she told the council to "first, use your leverage to address hunger in conflict... Second, adopt strong policies and practices to protect civilians.

"Third, facilitate humanitarian action by simplifying bureaucratic procedures and ensuring humanitarians can engage all parties... Fourth, strengthen accountability."

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Chief Economist Maximo Torero highlighted the scale of global hunger, saying: "Around the world, nearly 673 million people still go to bed hungry. In Africa, 307 million men, women, and children lack sufficient food; in Asia, the number rises to 323 million; while in Latin America and the Caribbean, 34 million face undernourishment."

Torero said that "food insecurity is no longer just a humanitarian challenge; it is a matter of global peace and security," noting that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), first developed in Somalia in 2004, has become "a global standard" for assessing crises in countries including "Gaza, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen."

"Food security is not only a moral imperative. It is the most practical path to peace," he said.