"Food insecurity, climate change, the COVID- 19 epidemic, and the negative effects of various international conflicts have all affected many countries, including Iran, which has suffered from US sanctions for more than four decades," Majid Takht Ravanchi said at a high-level meeting of the Security Council on food security and hostilities on Thursday.
He said the presence of millions of refugees from neighboring Afghanistan has also put pressure on the Iranian economy, and placed a burden on its food supplies.
Takht Ravanchi called on the United Nations, the international community, and aid organizations to honor their commitments and to provide necessary technical and financial assistance to foreign nationals residing in Iran.
The senior Iranian diplomat stressed that disruptions in the supply chain, displacement of people, increased pressure on natural and economic resources, and dramatic decline in the tolerance of affected populations are all long-term side effects of the crises.
“The global level of hunger continues to rise at an alarming rate, and acute food insecurity has increased significantly over the past six years,” the envoy noted.
“In 2021, nearly 193 million people in 53 countries experienced dire food insecurity and needed immediate help,” he hastened to add, citing global statistics.
Iran's ambassador to the world body said the whole world has been affected by acute food shortages, but Africa undoubtedly suffers the most.
Importantly, despite hosting 60 percent of the world's arable land, the African continent is a major importer of food, which means that disruptions in the supply chain affect it the most.
Millions of people in the African countries fear being pushed into poverty and malnutrition amid acute food insecurity in the world.
Iran's permanent representative to the UN also drew the world’s attention to the food crisis in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
“In Afghanistan, 22 million people suffer from food insecurity and are in dire need of help. Iran is cooperating with international organizations to address the emergency food security situation in Afghanistan,” he said.
“The international community is expected to help Afghans overcome their problems amid the current challenging situation.”
Takht Ravanchi said the acute food insecurity in Yemen recorded an 8 percent increase in the early part of this year, compared to the same period last year.
He said the decades of Israeli occupation and the apartheid regime’s policies have led to a deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Palestine, calling for swift and unconditional removal of the siege on the Gaza Strip, which has severely restricted the access of people residing in the coastal enclave to food.
Iran’s UN ambassador also said the ongoing foreign occupation of Syrian lands, terrorism, and unilateral sanctions have displaced millions of people in the Arab country, destroyed people's livelihoods, disrupted trade and agriculture, and damaged vital infrastructure.
Coercive, illegal measures aimed at starving sanctioned nations
Elsewhere in his remarks, Takht Ravanchi pointed to the negative effects of sanctions on food security, saying unilateral coercive measures violate basic human rights, including the right to food, and result in food insecurity.
“Unfortunately, some countries continue to employ such illegal actions, which are prohibited under the international humanitarian law, as a weapon to starve the sanctioned countries,” he said.