Det danske Fredsakademi
Kronologi over fredssagen og international politik 23. maj 2005
/ Time Line May 23, 2005
Version 3.0
22. Maj 2005, 24. Maj 2005
05/23/2005
Armed conflicts leading cause of world hunger
emergencies
FAO report: conflicts, HIV/AIDS, climate change main causes of
hunger
23 May 2005, Rome -- Armed conflicts are now the leading cause of
world hunger with the effects of HIV/AIDS and climate change not
far behind, according to an FAO report presented today at a meeting
of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). The Committee is
holding its 31st Session 23-26 May to review progress in reducing
world hunger and achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.
The report warned that the goal of reducing the number of the
world's hungry by half by the year 2015, set by the World Food
Summit in 1996 and reinforced by the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) in 2000, are almost certain to be missed by a wide margin if
current trends persist. However, the goal of cutting the proportion
of hungry and poor, the so-called MDG1, may be achieved in most
regions with the exception of sub-Saharan Africa.
Hunger hotspots
With the overall world food security situation little changed on
last year, CFS is focusing attention on major shocks that
exacerbate short-term hunger emergencies and responses that could
ease their impact. Hunger hotspots are increasingly caused by civil
conflict, war and natural disasters. In some cases natural
disasters and human-induced factors reinforce each other leading to
complex emergencies and protracted crises.
The Committee report warns: "In the long run, all countries are
likely to be affected by climate changes as a result of the global
warming phenomenon." It calls for special attention in coping with
key shocks to food security arising from conflicts, natural
disasters, plant and animal pests and diseases, HIV/AIDS and
possible impacts arising out of climate change.
More conflicts, more food emergencies
The number and scale of conflict-related food security emergencies
is increasing, the report warned. "The proportion of food
emergencies that can be considered human-made has increased over
time. Conflict and economic problems were cited as the main cause
of more than 35 percent of food emergencies between 1992 and 2003,
compared to around 15 percent in the period from 1986 to 1991."
A paper prepared for a CFS Special Event, Impact of Conflicts and
Governance on Food Security and FAO's Role and Adaptation for
Achieving the Millennium Development Goals, says, "The impact of
armed conflict is not limited to the conflict area. It diverts
resources from national development programmes and weakens
government capacity, indirectly affecting the provision of services
to the whole population. It usually affects neighboring countries,
due to the influx of refugees and its consequences, the increase of
military expenditure and the impact on the regional economy. It
contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS through displacement, rape or
commercial sex."
Peace needed for social and economic development
The paper calls peace "a public good and an essential condition for
attaining the MDGs." It calls on all nations to recognize peace as
a core objective. "Peace encourages investments and allows social
and economic development. Conflict destroys lives, opportunities
and environments and may be one of the most significant obstacles
to sustainable development as it can destroy in hours and days what
has taken years and decades to develop." ...
05/23/2005
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