New York, United States – Somalia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Abukar Osman Baale, delivered a message to the UN Security Council on 17 November that carried both urgency and exhaustion—the kind that comes from watching a nation wrestle with conflict and a warming climate at the same time. His remarks, delivered during an open debate on conflict-related food insecurity, placed Somalia’s climate crisis squarely within a global pattern of rising hunger and instability.

For Somalia, climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is the dried riverbed where families once fetched water, the grazing lands that no longer sustain livestock, and the sudden floods that wipe out what little farmers manage to grow. The Ambassador framed this environmental turmoil as inseparable from conflict, explaining how climate shocks leave communities vulnerable, erode local economies, and create openings for armed groups to take root. As the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises shows more people slipping into severe hunger, he warned that the world is watching a slow-motion disaster unfold.

He acknowledged the leadership of Sierra Leone in convening the debate and welcomed the experts who briefed the Council. But his focus remained on the regions where hardship is deepest. Across Africa, he noted, governments and communities are working to steady themselves against both climate extremes and conflict. Initiatives such as the African Union’s Kampala Declaration reflect a push to strengthen agriculture, build resilience, and keep local priorities at the center. Regional frameworks stress solidarity and place decision-making closer to the communities most affected.

The Ambassador underscored that real progress requires reinforcing local systems rather than replacing them. Women, who manage food production and household care in rural Somalia, remain essential to recovery efforts. With better data, fair access to land and markets, and targeted support, they can help transform fragile food systems into reliable sources of stability.

He also outlined what he believes the international community must do next: strengthen early warning systems envisioned under Resolution 2417, act against those who weaponize hunger, and invest in partnerships that bridge humanitarian relief with long-term development and peacebuilding. He urged nations to commit steady financing for food security plans, arguing that investments in rural roads, local production, and fair trading systems are what will shift communities from crisis to resilience.

As he closed, the Ambassador returned to a principle Somalia knows well: food should never be twisted into a tool of fear or division. In his view, the fight against hunger is inseparable from the fight for peace. Somalia, he said, will continue working with global and regional partners to build systems that give people not just food on the table, but the chance to rebuild their lives with confidence in the future.