Topic: 2024-Famine in Conflict Zones
Country: Iran
Delegate Name: Adam Bonde
Iran in its past has faced one large famine within any conflict zone; this was during World War I. Between 1917 and 1919, when the Persian Famine occurred, it is estimated that Iran faced a devastating 10 million Persian deaths. Originally, in the war, Iran was a neutral country, but due to its strategic geographical positioning, it ended up becoming a battleground for Britain, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. The occupation of armies within the lands disrupted agriculture aspects as well as resource management, leading to widespread famine in the case of drought, hunger, and epidemics like cholera and influenza. After recovering from the devastating 10 million citizen decline that this famine caused, Iran learned certain strategies to avoid widespread famine in the future. This knowledge came in handy during the Iran-Iraq War in 1980-1988, in which we never faced a famine because of the governmental interventions and utilization of famine-resilient measures, for example, food rationing and subsidies, as well as a centralized food distribution system that ensured storage of basic food necessities for only the public and disregarded the military due to what had happened during World War I. Reflecting on these past issues within Iran, it is important to the safety within Iran and to neighboring countries that Iran provides knowledge and aid to other regional powers that face famine, like Syria. Along with FAO, Iran has initiated an ideal to strengthen humanitarian response capacity, ensuring the ability to provide food security in conflict zones. Also, through the FAO’s Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (NENA), Iran has supported initiatives to prevent future famine and stabilize current issues. Separate from NENA, the Iranian government has worked with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and FAO to assist in the rehabilitation of war-torn regions and provide food, aid, and agricultural support for such regions.
The delegation of Iran recognizes that its geographical positioning is favorable to support numerous regions experiencing an acute sourcing of food. With Iran’s recovering irrigation and agriculture institutions, there are limited resources that can be provided directly from Iran. Despite this, the delegation of Iran offers a sentiment of peace and prosperity in the form of collecting and distributing humanitarian goods, including but not limited to, Afghanistan if they so choose to amend, Syria, and Yemen as they face one of the most devastating food crises, with over 17 million facing hunger insecurity, 50% either children or pregnant women, and an IPC 5 (famine). Yemen and other countries facing hunger rely up to 70% on food imports to support their respective populations. Iran offers its support as well as passing its sentiment to FAO along with other interested delegations to support and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian goods to these famine-spread conflict zones along with the donation of knowledge on recovery from an agricultural and economic fallout.
