UN report on the right to food: victimization and criminalization of the hungry
Sadly, this year Mr. Ziegler´s report again highlights the lack of progress in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Even worse, the figures have increased since 1996. Today, 854 million people worldwide still suffer from hunger and chronic malnutrition. In this perspective, the latest report of the Special Rapporteur is both a crucial condemnation of the unacceptable persistence of hunger, and a source of inspiration for the international community. The latter will hopefully hear the appeal of Mr. Ziegler in favour of alternatives for the realization of the human right to food.
In the present report, Mr. Ziegler particularly expresses his deep concern regarding the food and nutritional situation of millions of children worldwide as well as of millions of young African people whom he called “refugees from hunger”. Poverty and hunger, particularly in rural Africa, are forcing thousands of people to migrate everyday. Instead of addressing the root causes of the appalling situations of refugees who risk their lives trying to reach Europe, the international community gives a repressive response. This criminalization of people fleeing from hunger is an alarming trend, which also affects people who struggle for the realization of their right to food.
Indeed, this is the daily reality experienced by more and more small peasants over the world. These small-scale peasants and other marginalised rural groups represent the majority of the victims of hunger and malnutrition. In other words, those people who live there where food is produced or even those who produce food and agricultural goods… The reason for such a cynical situation is the fact that, in addition to social marginalization, small-scale peasants and landless belong to the groups who are the most politically oppressed. They are often victims of forced eviction, violence and harassment even if their claims over land were found rightful by courts. As the FIAN UN Coordinator, Sandra Ratjen, pointed out in her statement to the Council, the “better recognition and protection of the rights of small peasants and landless is a pressing issue” in the struggle against hunger and chronic malnutrition.
The work realized by FIAN and other NGOs to support peasants´ movements worldwide in their struggle for their rights is acknowledged in the report of the Special Rapporteur. There are great hopes that the Human Rights Council will hear Ziegler´s appeal for action to reverse the repressive trends against this struggle.
As a matter of fact, only when the world stops generating thousands of new hungry and malnourished people every day (often in the name of “development”), it will have a chance to progress towards the achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal.