Hunger 3 times worse in conflict zones than developing countries

People living in countries affected by conflicts are three times more likely to go hungry than those living in developing countries, UN food chief Graziano da Silva said Tuesday.

Not only are countries in conflict prone to food insecurity, food insecurity also makes conflicts worse, da Silva, director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told the UN Security Council.

"We know that actions to promote food security can help prevent a crisis, mitigate its impacts and promote post-crisis recovery and healing," said da Silva.

The FAO chief said that there were many current and recent examples of countries where food shortages were linked to conflict, including Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Somalia.

Although many Syrian farmers have fled their land, da Silva said that supporting the remaining farmers was "critical to prevent even worse displacement and to set the foundations for rebuilding (Syria)."

Da Silva addressed the Security Council at a closed-door "Arria-formula" meeting, the first time FAO was involved in such a meeting.