By Damilola Banjo, originally published on PassBlue The United States and 90 other countries took a formal stand against weaponizing food in conflicts last week, while more than half — 102 United Nations member states — declined to sign the communiqué pledging to condemn the use of food as a tool of war. Only 11 of Africa’s 54 countries agreed to the messaging. The communiqué was part of the US agenda highlighting the issue of famine and food insecurity — which some experts say is a euphemism for starvation — as it leads the Security Council as rotating president in August. Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, chaired the country’s first signature event of the month, on Aug. 3, addressing hunger and famine as consequences of war. “Hunger and conflict are inexorably linked,” Blinken said to the 15-member Council. “Scarce resources heighten tensions between communities and nations. Warring parties weaponize food to subjugate local populations. Indeed, conflict is the largest driver of food insecurity, with violence and unrest pushing 117 million people into extreme deprivation last year.” Blinken called on all UN members, 193 countries, to specifically call out Moscow for allegedly using food as a weapon of war in its full-scale attacks […]
The post Half of All UN Members Abstained From US-Led Pledge Not to Weaponize Food in War first appeared on Future Media.
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