At the opening of the 165th session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Da Silva warned that if something is not done within six months, a human catastrophe will occur in those four nations.

‘Hunger not only kills people’ but also contributes to ‘social instability’ and ‘perpetuates the cycle of poverty and dependence on aid that lasts for decades,’ he said.

Earlier, the director of the UN agency called attention to Council members and representatives of FAO member countries, by stating that to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve zero hunger as objectives of the 2030 Agenda, requires action on many fronts.

Distribution of cereal seeds, feed and vaccines and the provision of money transfers are some of the contributions of the UN agency, along with the initiative to replenish pastoral herds.

He announced that the possibility of opening a new subregional office was being studied, for which representatives of the four countries that expressed interest in hosting it held a meeting.

FAO’s priorities for the period 2018-2019 are on the agenda of this Council, whose sessions will run until Friday, and Da Silva announced in its intervention the 10 priority areas for FAO to increase its technical capacity.