NEW YORK, Oct 16: The State of Kuwait has reaffirmed its firm commitment to eradicating poverty and hunger worldwide, calling for intensified international cooperation to ensure humanitarian access and protect civilians in conflict zones, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The remarks were delivered by Diplomatic Attaché Rashid Farhan on Wednesday during a session of the UN General Assembly’s Second Committee, under the agenda items covering poverty eradication, agricultural development, food security, and nutrition.

In his statement, Farhan warned that nearly 800 million people globally still live in extreme poverty, with children and youth accounting for 60 percent of the affected population. He highlighted that 350 million people in Africa alone are suffering from acute food insecurity, and pointed to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Palestine, citing genocidal policies in Gaza and the occupied West Bank as exacerbating severe food shortages.

Farhan stressed the urgent need for stronger international efforts to facilitate unhindered humanitarian and food aid delivery and to uphold the protection of civilians in line with international humanitarian law.

While acknowledging a modest global improvement — with global hunger rates decreasing to 8.2 percent last year — he noted that significant regional disparities remain, particularly in the Middle East, Africa, and Western Asia.

The Kuwaiti envoy also emphasized the interconnectedness of peace, security, and food, recalling Kuwait’s sponsorship of UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018), which links armed conflict to hunger and explicitly condemns the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

He further noted Kuwait’s active participation in global initiatives, including its membership in the Friends of Action on Conflict and Hunger group and its accession to the Global Alliance to Protect Water in Armed Conflicts in June, underscoring Kuwait’s role in multilateral humanitarian advocacy.

Highlighting national efforts, Farhan pointed to the New Kuwait Vision 2035, which prioritizes inclusive development, investment in human capital, and the building of a knowledge-based economy. He also referenced the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition’s second strategy (2024–2026), which seeks to enhance food safety and improve community nutrition.

Farhan concluded by urging the global community to increase data transparency, strengthen early warning systems, invest in digital infrastructure and innovation, and support small-scale producers, women, and youth. These steps, he said, are critical to building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems capable of withstanding current and future global challenges.