Conflict and peace

Conflict remains the main driver of hunger in most of the world’s food crises. The proliferation of armed conflicts, insecurity and civil unrest is greatly undermining food and nutrition security further to historic levels. 

The UN Security Council acknowledged the link between conflict and hunger, and condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war, when it adopted its landmark Resolution 2417 in 2018. With this resolution, there is recognition on the need to break the vicious cycle between armed conflict and hunger, establishing accountability for those who exploit starvation for their own ends.

Zero hunger cannot be achieved without stability – this is why WFP plays a key role in building pathways to peace. This was formally highlighted in October 2020, when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to WFP for “its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict”.  

Food insecurity inevitably worsens when fighting drives large numbers of people from their homes, land and livelihoods, and when it restricts access to people in need of life-saving assistance. WFP has invested in research to identify best practices in contributing to peace. Initial findings from a joint research partnership with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), focusing on 12 country-specific case studies and five thematic areas, indicated that WFP’s work contributed to improving the prospects for peace by: enhancing access and supply to contested natural resources (e.g. water, land); bolstering social cohesion and resolving grievances within and between communities; increasing opportunity and inclusion, including for youth; and increasing citizen-state trust by contributing to strengthening state accountability and service delivery.

WFP partners with peace actors who are mandated and equipped to directly address the structural drivers of conflict and vulnerability, while also strongly advocating to support their work.