High Level Event on the Margins of UNGA80

Monday 22 September 2025

1:00-2:15 PM EDT

This ministerial event, co-organized between the European Union, Ireland, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Slovenia, Guyana, the World Food Programme and the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC), will focus on the growing severity of conflict in countries such as DRC, Haiti, Mali, Myanmar, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen, and its impact on food security, nutrition, and displacement. The discussion will draw on recent IPC analyses and the upcoming September update of the Global Report on Food Crises to provide a comprehensive understanding of the situation. This high-level roundtable will bring together Member States, UN, humanitarians, and civil society to reaffirm commitments to addressing conflict-induced hunger.

Background 

The world is facing an unprecedented food crisis. In 2025, famine threatens lives in several parts of the world and global acute food insecurity is on the rise. The Global Report on Food Crises notes that acute hunger has grown for the sixth consecutive year, with 295 million people in 53 countries facing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. In 2025, WFP estimates that at least 319 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity.

Within this context, conflict and socio-economic fragility remain the primary driver, affecting an estimated 70 percent of acutely food insecure people. Conflict and violence have also forcibly displaced more than 123 million people, including nearly 43 million people across borders, further exacerbating vulnerabilities. 

For the first time since the establishment of the United Nations eighty years ago, the world is facing two simultaneous famines – in Sudan and Palestine. There is also a substantial risk that famine may develop in additional locations. This dire humanitarian situation has and continues to outpace the capacity of aid organizations, as resource constraints and/or restricted access to conflict zones hinder efforts to deliver assistance and reach those most at risk. The Global Report on Food Crises September update further highlights these risks, underscoring both their man-made origins and the central role of conflict.

Against this backdrop, concrete diplomatic and political actions are essential, not only to reduce human suffering and save lives, but also to prevent famine and enable an efficient, dignified, and principled humanitarian response. Member States’ adherence to international humanitarian law (IHL) is therefore critical. Preventing instability and ensuring predictable and sustained investment in preparedness and response efforts are also lifesaving imperatives, and strategic investments in global security and economic stability. 

Objective

The event will aim to generate high-level political momentum and practical pathways to prevent and respond to famine in conflict-affected contexts by addressing root causes, advancing integrated diplomatic and humanitarian solutions, and reinforcing political and operational measures that uphold IHL and enable lifesaving assistance. 

Format

A high-level roundtable at ministerial level in restricted format (principal +1). The event will be broadcasted.

It will examine the nexus between conflict and hunger, drawing on shared experiences from diverse conflict-affected contexts. A dedicated Q&A segment will invite participants to actively engage with panelists, fostering candid exchange and political momentum for solutions. 

Guiding Questions

1. How do access restrictions and the shrinking operational space for principled humanitarian action contribute to the risk of famine, and what lessons can be drawn to mitigate these challenges in future responses?

2. In what ways can Member States, humanitarian actors, communities, NGOs, and CSOs work together through an "all-of-society" approach to prevent and address acute food insecurity, malnutrition, and famine during conflict?

3. What integrated approaches have been, or could be, implemented to address the interconnected drivers of famine and food insecurity, such as conflict, climate shocks, and structural vulnerabilities, in fragile and conflict-affected states?

4. How can the humanitarian reset effectively mobilize funding, diplomacy, and resilient programming to avert famine and sustain lifesaving assistance in high-risk contexts?

Agenda

13:00                  Welcome scene setting by Yalda Hakim, Journalist, Sky News (Moderator)

13:03                  Opening remarks by H.E. Hadja Lahbib, EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management 

13:08                  Address by H.E. Neal Richmond, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland

13:10                  Address by H.E Bader AlTunaib, Assistant Foreign Minister for the Minister of Foreign Affairs Office, State of Kuwait 

13:12                  Roundtable discussion moderated by Yalda Hakim (25 minutes)

• Ms. Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme 

• Mr. Andrew Morley, CEO, World Vision International

• Ms. Kate Forbes, President, International Federation of the Red Cross

• Ms. Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator

13:35                  Interventions & discussion from registered participants from the floor (30 minutes)

• H.E. Melita Gabrič, State Secretary for Multilateral Affairs, Political Affairs and Development Cooperation of the Republic of Slovenia – on behalf of Slovenia & Guyana as Informal Co-Focal Points on Conflict and Hunger in the UN Security Council 

14:05                  Closing remarks by:

 [Minister of Co-sponsor]

14:10                  Wrap up and closing by Yalda Hakim, Journalist, Sky News 

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