Africa: Hunger Is 'An Avoidable Tragedy' in a World of Plenty - Türk

More than one quarter of the world's population struggles to find sufficient food, despite the planet producing enough to feed everyone, according to UN human rights chief Volker Türk. In a speech to the UN-hosted Committee on World Food Security in Rome, Türk attributed the prevalence of hunger to injustice and the denial of human rights, rather than the availability of food.

He highlighted that while the right to food is enshrined in treaties and laws, many people still lack access to meals. Every day, households discard over a billion meals, and a mere one percent of global farmland is operated by just one percent of farms. Furthermore, women farmers and Indigenous Peoples often lack governmental support and land access.

Conflict exacerbates hunger in 12 out of 13 current hunger hotspots, as restrictions on humanitarian aid and attacks on aid workers disrupt food supplies. Türk emphasized the need for a human rights economy centered on social protection, fair taxation, and agricultural policies aimed at reducing poverty, as well as equitable access to vital resources like land, water, and seeds.

He also stressed the importance of adhering to the rules of war and preventing hunger from being used as a weapon. UN Special Rapporteur Sofía Monsalve Suárez, addressing the Committee for the first time as an independent expert on the right to food, expressed her primary concern over the rapid rise in famine and the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war.

While chronic hunger decreased in 2025, acute hunger has steadily increased since 2016, with 1.4 million people in six countries facing catastrophic conditions - a ninefold increase from 2016. Suárez called for a stronger framework for accountability and prevention, as well as better coordination between the Security Council, the Committee, human rights bodies, and food security monitors to enhance early warning systems.