Members of the Advocacy Compact on Famine Prevention and Mitigation (coordinated by WFP) and co-sponsor USAID, will host a hybrid event, “Tackling the Next Phase of the Global Food Crisis in 2023” - Employing Lessons Learned through Collective Advocacy and Action to Fight Acute Food Insecurity, to share innovative solutions based on collective learning, successes, and challenges and decide how these experiences can further our coordinated efforts to prevent and mitigate famine.

Global food insecurity is at an all-time high. Hundreds of millions are at risk of worsening hunger unless action is taken now to respond at scale to the drivers of the global crisis: conflict, shrinking humanitarian space, climate shocks and disasters, and persistent domestic food, fuel, and fertilizer price inflation. The scale of the current global hunger and malnutrition crisis is enormous, with over 345 million people that are projected to be food insecure – more than double the number in 2020. An estimated 43.3 million people across 51 countries are acutely food insecure[1].

The complex situation requires holistic, proactive and human rights-based solutions to address the root causes and prevent its occurrence.To respond more effectively to food crises, it is key to act before a disaster has even hit or its impact is felt. Anticipatory action aims to optimise the timing, cost-efficiency and benefits of humanitarian aid before the event or risk materialises, and as such, before suffering and needs increase. The members of the Advocacy Compact on Famine Mitigation and Prevention, and partners, understand that humanitarian assistance alone is not enough and that we need to prepare, anticipate, and address the rising needs across all sectors with key stakeholders collectively better. A coordinated effort across the governments, financial institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and local and international CSOs is the only way to mitigate an even more severe crisis in 2023 and beyond.

The event is co-sponsored by the Permanent Missionof the United States to the UN in Geneva and will have a keynote address by Ms. Reena Ghelani, UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator. There will be a presentation of findings on Real Time Learning from the Global Hunger Response, by Ms. Amanda Rives Argeñal, Senior Director, External Engagement & Resource Development, World Vision International, followed by a panel discussion with Ms. Courtney E. Blake, Senior Humanitarian Advisor, USAID, United States Mission to the UN in Geneva; Mr. Salad Liban Arero, Chief Executive Officer, CIFA Kenya; and Mr. Gian Carlo Cirri, Deputy Director, WFP, Geneva Global Office. The session will be moderated by Ms. Nimo Hassan, Director, Somalia NGO Consortium.

This initiative aims to jointly advocate for consolidated action to anticipate and address the growing food affordability crisis. It will act as a platform for experts to share the latest data and trends on the state of global hunger in 2023. This session also hopes to catalyse the discourse and build momentum across multiple humanitarian and development networks ahead of key events in 2023, such as The ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment, UN General Assembly, and COP28.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Ms. Reena Ghelani, UN Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator 

MODERATOR: Ms. Nimo Hassan, Director, Somalia NGO Consortium 

OPENING PRESENTATION - Real-Time Learning on the Global Hunger Response

Ms. Amanda Rives Argeñal, Senior Director, External Engagement & Resource Development, World Vision International

PANEL PRESENTATION:

1.Ms. Courtney E. Blake, Senior Humanitarian Advisor, USAID, United States Mission to the UN in Geneva

2.Mr. Salad Liban Arero, Chief Executive Officer, CIFA Kenya (local partner)

3. Mr.Gian Carlo Cirri, Deputy Director, WFP, Geneva Global Office