Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary‑General, described the recent confirmation of famines in Sudan and the Gaza Strip as a “shameful milestone” at a Security Council meeting on global food insecurity, according to Anadolu.
He said that 2025 has recorded the highest number of armed conflicts since World II and unprecedented levels of hunger, with at least 266 million people experiencing acute food insecurity. Violence is the main cause of hunger in 12 of the 13 most severe hotspots.
Carl Skau, acting Executive Director of the World Food Programme, warned that an oil tanker blocked in the Strait of Hormuz could deprive a child in Sudan of a daily meal. He added that food prices in Sudan have risen by almost 40 % since February.
Triple choke point crisis
Skau presented a “triple choke point” model that includes the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Black Sea. He cautioned that curbs on the Strait of Hormuz—through which a third of the world’s fertilizer trade passes—have sharply reduced supplies, while oil prices have jumped 36 % since Iran’s war began. He also noted that grain flow through the Istanbul Strait has fallen by 40 % year‑on‑year, leaving nations such as Somalia especially vulnerable.
READ: Dozens killed in attacks by RSF-aligned group in Sudan’s South Kordofan: Local medical group
Guterres suggested a limited initiative to build trust, beginning with the neutral verification and registration of vessels transporting fertilizers. He stressed that this measure is a pragmatic tool and not a replacement for restoring full navigational freedoms in the area.
Systematic attacks
Perrine Benoist, chief executive of Action Against Hunger, reported over 900 attacks on Sudan’s food system since April 2023, including bombings of markets and looting of livestock. She warned that being a woman in Sudan is a statistically significant indicator of starvation risk. Benoist described the “malnutrition clock,” noting that children can develop organ failure and severe wasting within three weeks of food deprivation.
Guterres called on the Security Council to act proactively rather than waiting for formal famine declarations. “We cannot wait for famine or catastrophic conditions to be officially confirmed,” he said. He urged full implementation of UN Resolution 2417 to prevent the deprivation of food and water for civilians, advocated safeguards for farms, ports and market storage, and called for sanctions against any party that unlawfully blocks humanitarian access.
Skau acknowledged a “glimmer of hope” in Gaza but warned that the World Food Programme is turning away roughly six out of seven malnourished children in Afghanistan because of funding shortfalls.
