New York, November 17, 2025. — The Cuban delegation, represented by Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, spoke today in the Security Council’s open debate on conflict-related food insecurity. He highlighted the urgent need for effective international action to address this scourge, which continues to affect millions of people worldwide.
During his speech, the Cuban diplomat expressed solidarity with the African nations that still suffer the historical consequences of colonialism, protracted conflicts and structural inequalities, whose impacts are reflected in delayed development and growing levels of food insecurity. He emphasized that the annual report of the United Nations system estimated that between 638 and 720 million people would be affected by hunger in 2024 — representing between 7.8% and 8.8% of the global population — and warned that the outlook for 2030 was not encouraging despite the 2030 Agenda being just five years away.
Ambassador Soberón emphasized the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation by highlighting the central role of the General Assembly, the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other specialized agencies in implementing global commitments. He also drew attention to recent studies confirming that armed conflicts are the main cause of acute food insecurity, which is currently affecting 140 million people in 20 countries and territories.
He strongly denounced the dramatic situation in the Gaza Strip, where famine is threatening more than 500,000 people. He pointed out that severe obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid persist even after the ceasefire, while 98.5% of agricultural land has been destroyed or rendered inaccessible, thereby exacerbating the food emergency. He warned that hunger is being used as a weapon of war against the Palestinian people, and held Israel responsible for crimes of genocide, extermination and ethnic cleansing, supported by political impunity and military funding from the US government.
Finally, Cuba reiterated that the planet has sufficient resources to guarantee food and development in a just society, but these resources are concentrated and squandered by the great powers on weapons and hegemonic policies. In this regard, Ambassador Soberón called for the establishment of a new, fair, equitable and democratic international economic order, capable of eradicating global inequalities, extreme poverty and the structural factors that continue to fuel conflicts, instability and humanitarian crises.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.