India (Commonwealth Union)_ During the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate centered on “Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity,” India mentioned its food assistance to nations such as Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. This debate unfolded under the aegis of the US chairmanship of the council, wherein Ruchira Kamboj, India’s envoy to the UN, eloquently underscored the nation’s proactive efforts.
Kamboj emphasized that amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, India’s dispatch of sustenance comprising substantial quantities of wheat, rice, pulses, and lentils to various nations, both within its proximity and across Africa, aimed at strengthening food security. She said, “Even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, India provided food aid in the form of thousands of metric tonnes of wheat, rice, pulses, and lentils to several countries, including in our neighborhood and Africa, to strengthen food security”.
Amid a situation of deepening humanitarian distress in Afghanistan, Ambassador Kamboj drew attention to India’s decision to contribute 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to the suffering Afghan populace. Similarly, New Delhi demonstrated unwavering humanity towards Myanmar by extending a donation of 10,000 tonnes of rice and wheat. Further substantiating India’s commitment to solve food-related challenges, she mentioned the essential provisions dispatched to Sri Lanka during its periods of adversity. As per United Nations estimations, an unprecedented 362 million individuals across 62 nations are in need of humanitarian aid. Further, the collective impact of the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to a surge in the prices of essential commodities such as food, fuel, and fertilizers, disproportionately affecting regions in the global south.
Ambassador Kamboj elucidated that India aligns with the endeavors of the UN Secretary-General in fostering the Black Sea Grain Initiative and expressed hopes for a timely resolution to the ongoing deadlock. However, she expressed apprehensions regarding the recent developments in this context, saying that they have not contributed to advancing the broader objectives of global peace and stability. The Black Sea Grain Initiative facilitates commercial exports of food and fertilizers, including ammonia, from major Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, namely Odessa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. The accord, brokered with UN facilitation, was a trilateral pact involving Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey.
Additionally, in anticipation of India’s imminent stewardship of the G20, Ambassador Kamboj outlined the nation’s intent to harness its presidency to advocate for intensified efforts in expediting the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 2, which underscores the aspiration for eradicating global hunger. Notably, India currently presides over the G20, a position that will culminate in a summit to be held in September.
