At UN Meet on Food Insecurity, India Calls for Collective Global Action – News18

India has called for collective global action to address food insecurity around the world, as UN estimates reveal that 362 million people in 62 countries require humanitarian aid. This appeal was made during a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate on “Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity.” Delivering India’s statement, Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, raised concern about the global food insecurity situation, saying that an increasing number of people facing acute food shortages over the past four years.

“In a world ridden with ongoing armed conflicts, food, fertilizer, and energy crises pose significant challenges, especially for countries in the Global South. The solutions lie in collective global action, as no single country can handle these challenges alone,” she said during the Security Council open debate in New York on Thursday.

Urging for common solutions through dialogue and diplomacy, Kamboj said that choosing peace, cooperation, and multilateralism is essential for building a collective future. “Addressing the growing food grain shortages requires us to go beyond current constraints. India is committed to playing its part in addressing contemporary global challenges, as reflected in our membership in the Champions Group of the Global Crisis Response Group,” she said.

India’s Permanent Representative once again backed the efforts of the UN Secretary-General in continuing the Black Sea Grain Initiative and hoped for an early resolution to the present impasse.

Calling for a multi-stakeholder approach, Kamboj said, “Food assistance alone surely cannot be a long-term sustainable solution to food insecurity. Peacebuilding and development are paramount and must include livelihood support, social protection programmes, and community-based approaches including investment in agriculture infrastructure and capacity-building in rural development, especially in conflict areas.”

During her address, the Permanent Representative also highlighted how India has always been proactive in assisting its partners in times of distress. “Even in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, India provided food aid in the form of thousands of metric tonnes of wheat, rice, pulses, and lentils to several countries, including in our neighborhood and Africa, to strengthen food security.”

“In view of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, India commenced the donation of 50,000 Metric tonnes of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. Similarly, India has continued its humanitarian support for Myanmar, including a grant of 10,000 tons of rice and wheat. We have also assisted Sri Lanka including with food assistance, during its difficult times,” she stated while underlining India’s foreign policy priority of “Neighbourhood First” and the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

Ambassador Kamboj lastly noted how India has advocated for greater efforts to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by leveraging its Presidency of the G20. “The Indian Presidency is committed to in our Prime Minister’s words, depoliticizing the global supply of food, fertilizers and medical products, so that geopolitical tensions do not lead to humanitarian crisis,” she concluded.