Food

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today released a report showing that economic losses from drought, floods and landslides have rocketed in Asia. According to WMO, in 2021 alone, weather and water-related hazards caused total damage of $35.6 billion, affecting nearly 50 million people.

In Mozambique, the World Food Programme (WFP) warns it will be forced to suspend life-saving assistance, particularly in Cabo Delgado province, to 1 million people — at the peak of the hunger season in February — unless it urgently receives $51 million more in funding.

In Afghanistan, the United Nations Resident Coordinator there called for urgent collective action to halt the devastating impact of climate change in the country. He warned that Afghanistan is one of the countries least prepared to face climate shocks.

Alice Nderitu, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, expressed her concern today at reports of a resurgence of ethnic clashes in the Blue Nile region of Sudan fuelled by hate speech. She called on all those in positions of authority to institute conflict prevention mechanisms and hold all perpetrators accountable.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today released its Adaptation Gap Report, which finds that global efforts in adaptation planning, financing and implementation are not keeping pace with the growing risks.

The United Nations Secretariat at the Joint Coordination Centre reports that the Ukrainian, Turkish and United Nations delegations agreed not to plan any movement of vessels in the Black Sea Grain Initiative for 2 November.

The Russian Federation’s decision to temporarily suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, due to alleged attacks against its ships, risks causing spikes in food and fertilizer prices and disproportionately impacting developing countries, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, as delegates urged all parties to work towards resuming shipments and extending the agreement.

In Tunisia, the third of nine commercial vessels from Ukraine arrived over the weekend, through the Black Sea Grain Initiative, bringing more than 78,000 tons of soft wheat to the country. A fourth vessel is scheduled to land today in Tunis, with 30,000 tons of corn.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The General Assembly today adopted a resolution delivering $3.52 million to the Secretary-General to ease global food insecurity by facilitating the implementation of two key initiatives aimed at bringing agricultural commodities from Ukraine and the Russian Federation to world markets and countries in need.  The Assembly also considered the International Court of Justice’s annual report.