Statement by Ms. Dace Melbārde, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia at the United Nations Security Council Ministerial High-level Open Debate: Food Under Fire: The Security Council’s Role in Mitigating Global and Local Food Crises
25 August, 2026 10AM
Thank you, Mr. President.
I thank the Secretary-General, Mr. Skau and CSO briefer for their substantial interventions this morning. They have painted an irrefutable picture of a stark reality: conflict continues to put food security at risk, and civilians continue to pay the price.
On the overall picture:
While global hunger has declined, more than 600 million people were affected by hunger in 2025.
Behind that figure are families, women and children who wake up every day with one basic objective – to find enough food to survive.
In 2026, the risk of famine persists or has been identified in four countries or territories. Let me be clear: these famines are not inevitable. They are man-made, and they are preventable.
In Gaza, acute food insecurity remains a daily reality for civilians, compounded by repeated disruptions to supply chains and severe restrictions on humanitarian access. Given their low or non-existent income, the vast majority of families are largely dependent on the aid delivered by the UN and international NGOs.
In Sudan, more than 20 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity. Yet the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)continues. It displaces communities, destroys livelihoods and disrupts the very systems on which civilians depend. Markets have been repeatedly targeted by drones, while attacks on humanitarian and commercial convoys and critical trade routes continue to obstruct access to food.
The situation in hunger hotspots like Yemen, South Sudan, Haiti, Nigeria, Afghanistanand elsewhere requires our attention and swift action.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also had far-reaching consequences globally, with severe disruptions to energy markets and a growing impact on global food security. This is a stark reminder that disruptions to critical trade routes can rapidly translate into consequences far beyond the immediate conflict zone.
At the same time, climate change is intensifying food and water insecurity, especially for communities dependent on subsistence farming, already affected by conflict and with limited capacity to withstand further shocks.
Mr. President,
There is a fundamental principle we must not lose sight of: food must never be used as a weapon of war.
The deliberate destruction of agricultural land and essential infrastructure necessary to sustain civilian life cannot be normalized as a feature of warfare.
This brings me to Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine has long played a vital role in global food security.
Before Russia's full-scale war of aggression, Ukrainian food procured through the World Food Programme fed around 400 million people in humanitarian emergencies.
Even under relentless attacks, Ukrainian farmers have continued to produce and supply food to crisis-affected populations, including in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, and Nigeria.
Yet Russia continues to target Ukrainian ports and grain harvests, humanitarian infrastructure and civilian merchant shipping, deliberately disrupting global food supplies.
These are not only acts of aggression against Ukraine, but crimes against the world’s most vulnerable, using food as a weapon.
Latvia calls on the international community to take a strong diplomatic stance and demand an end to these attacks and restrictions. Russia must not be allowed to hold the hungry hostage. An immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire is essential to ending Russia's aggression and ensuring Ukraine’s vital role in global food security.
Mr. President,
What should we do as the Security Council:
The answer is straightforward.
We need to rise to the challenge of implementing Resolution 2417 – not merely reaffirming it.
We must move from reacting to famine to preventing it.
First, we must strengthen early warning. We encourage the Secretary-General to continue providing the Council with swift reporting whenever a risk of conflict-induced famine emerges. Early warning must lead to early action.
Second, we must act when humanitarian access is denied or restricted.
It is therefore crucial that the UN and other humanitarian organizations enjoy full, rapid, safe and unimpeded access to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid, in accordance with humanitarian principles and international humanitarian law.
Third, there must be accountability.
Echoing resolution 2417 , we call on all States to conduct independent, full, prompt, impartial and effective investigations and to hold perpetrators accountable.
Humanitarian workers and farmers are never legitimate targets. We condemn attacks against them in the strongest possible terms.
Where hunger is deliberately used as a weapon of war, the Council must be prepared to act.
As a Council, we must consider targeted sanctions and other appropriate measures against those who deliberately weaponize food and obstruct humanitarian access.
These violations will have consequences that extend far beyond the immediate crisis. They destroy livelihoods, deepen instability and leave scars that can last for generations.
Impunity cannot become another driver of hunger.
In closing, Mr. President,
Latvia reaffirms its full commitment to Resolution 2417 and its implementation. When we have the means to prevent hunger caused by conflict, then failure to act is a choice.
Latvia stands ready to work with all Council members to ensure that conflict-induced hunger is not merely preventable, but is actually prevented.
I thank you.