Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina PM calls for an end to war and ensure food for all
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, Oct 18: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on world leaders to stop politics over war and food, and to ensure food for everyone.
She said more than 80 crore people around the world go to bed hungry, a situation made worse by the Russia-Ukraine war.
She made this call during the presentation of the keynote at the opening ceremony of the 'World Food Conference-2022' on Monday (October 17) evening.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina participated virtually from Ganobhaban in an event organized at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.
She said, "I request the international community to stop the war, food politics, and food wastage. Instead, I call for ensuring food supply to areas affected by food shortages and famines. As humans, we must believe that everyone has the right to live and live a good life. On the other hand, if a fraction of the money invested in weapons production were spent on food production and distribution, no one in this world would be hungry."
Expressing satisfaction at being able to attend the forum virtually, she said the forum is being held at a time when the global food system is being disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine war, sanctions and counter-sanctions, the Covid-19 pandemic, and drought across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.
The Head of Government hoped that this would encourage dialogue among key stakeholders to advance critical solutions for the transformation of the agri-food system.
She noted that more than 80 crore people, or 10 percent of the world's population, go to bed hungry all the time, and the situation has now worsened as a result of the Ukraine war, subsequent sanctions and counter-sanctions, which have disrupted global food supplies and driven up food prices.
She said that the world has an abundance of resources and this deprivation is most unfortunate for us despite the significant contribution of science and technology to increase it. There is literally no shortage of food on our planet. Scarcity is only man-made. Politics and business interests in food, the challenges of climate change, and the onslaught of pests and diseases are all putting pressure on our agri-food system.
