Egypt Highlights the Threats Facing the Right to Food in an Era of Conflict and Crisis
Author : Ingy Ihab Published at : Mar 30, 2026
Ingy Ihab
On 30 March 2026, during the 52nd meeting held at the UN Human Rights Council, draft resolution A/HRC/61/L.13 on “The Right to Food” was presented by Cuba and adopted without a vote.
Prior to adoption, Egypt expressed its support for the draft resolution, emphasizing the importance and timeliness of addressing the right to food as a pressing global human rights issue.
Egypt highlighted that, as a developing country that is a net food importer and home to a population exceeding 100 million people, it attaches great importance to the realization of the right to food and to ensuring food security. It noted with regret that, in 2026, approximately 720 million people continue to suffer from hunger, while nearly 2 billion people experience moderate to severe food insecurity.
Emphasizing the legal and human rights dimensions of the issue, Egypt reaffirmed that the right to adequate food is a fundamental human right. Egypt further underscored its close connection to the enjoyment of a range of other rights, including the rights to life, health, and education, as well as its essential role in sustaining life in all its aspects.
Egypt also welcomed the updates introduced in this year’s draft resolution, particularly the focus on the negative impact of armed conflicts on the enjoyment of the right to food at a time characterized by the increasing prevalence of conflicts around the world. Egypt stressed that wars do not only affect the countries directly involved but also generate far-reaching consequences for other states, especially net food-importing countries, by disrupting the entire food system cycle.
Furthermore, Egypt underlined that the right to food is increasingly threatened by a range of interconnected global challenges. These include climate change, rising debt burdens, recurring global economic crises, and growing water scarcity, all of which place additional pressure on food security and the realization of this fundamental right.
Thus, Egypt encouraged all members of the Human Rights Council to support and adopt the draft resolution by consensus.