As climate change, conflict and rising costs put growing pressure on global food security, the World Food Programme (WFP) is calling for greater recognition of the links between humanitarian crises and climate risks ahead of the United Nations climate conference COP31, which Türkiye will host in Antalya on Nov. 9-20.
Stephen Cahill, WFP's representative and country director in Türkiye, told Daily Sabah that climate-related shocks are increasingly affecting the agency's operations, pushing vulnerable communities deeper into poverty and making humanitarian assistance more expensive.
He said COP31 should help bridge the gap between climate policy and humanitarian action, stressing that food insecurity cannot be addressed without considering conflict, economic pressures and displacement alongside climate change.
Last year, WFP provided food assistance to 121 million people worldwide, Cahill said, adding that the effects of extreme weather were becoming increasingly visible in its operations.
Around 30% of the world's food is produced by smallholder farmers, who are particularly vulnerable to changing weather patterns, unseasonal rainfall and drought. When harvests suffer, the consequences extend beyond agricultural production, affecting food prices, household incomes and access to basic necessities.
"There's a direct link between climate change and conflict," Cahill said, explaining that people pushed further into poverty may be forced to migrate, while competition over resources can intensify existing tensions.
The global food security outlook is further complicated by higher oil and fertilizer prices and disruptions to grain supplies from the Black Sea, which increase food production, transportation and humanitarian costs.
Hunger is a political issue
Cahill argued that the international community must recognize that food insecurity is fundamentally a political issue requiring political solutions, rather than treating it solely as a humanitarian or U.N. problem.
He called for stronger political leadership and greater respect for international humanitarian law, warning that the use of food as a weapon of war remains unacceptable.
"Food has been used as a weapon of war," he said, pointing to the continuing crises in Gaza and Sudan as examples of suffering that he believes could be prevented.
Cahill also warned that public attention tends to shift from one humanitarian emergency to another, leaving crises in countries such as Yemen and Somalia struggling for sustained international attention.
He also raised concerns over WFP personnel detained in Yemen, saying the situation had made the organization's work more difficult and put humanitarian staff at risk.
Türkiye as major humanitarian hub
Cahill described Türkiye as a major procurement and logistical hub for the WFP, highlighting its geographic position, international relationships and ability to facilitate humanitarian shipments.
“For the WFP, Türkiye is the number one country that we buy from worldwide. We buy more from Türkiye than any other country in the world,” he said.
Around 70% of the food the WFP distributes in Gaza comes from Türkiye, Cahill said, adding that supplies purchased in the country also support operations in Afghanistan and Syria.
He said about 80% of the food procured through Türkiye is sourced from elsewhere, and then processed or re-exported through Türkiye. This arrangement allows the country to serve as a regional logistics and procurement hub without placing the same pressure on its domestic food supply, he added.
Cahill said Türkiye's diplomatic relationships and cooperation with government institutions have also helped facilitate humanitarian operations.
At the time of the interview, the WFP was preparing to send its first shipment of food from Türkiye to Iran by road. The supplies, purchased in the Mersin area, included rice, pasta, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, tea and biscuits.
He said the WFP had been coordinating with Türkiye's Foreign and Trade Ministries to facilitate the movement of humanitarian cargo across the border, including through priority arrangements intended to reduce delays.
Cahill said the agency hoped the situation in Iran would stabilize, warning that a major humanitarian crisis would be a serious concern.
He also praised Türkiye's role in supporting humanitarian work and said the WFP regularly looked to the country for assistance in defending humanitarian principles.
“One of the countries that we repeatedly go back to for support in this is Türkiye because it has kept that moral compass today,” he said. “And we really need that.”
Funding cuts
Despite growing needs, the WFP is facing a difficult funding environment as major donors reduce their contributions. Cahill said the agency, which relies entirely on voluntary funding, had been significantly affected by cuts from the U.S. and European donors, among others.
He linked reductions in humanitarian spending to rising European defense expenditure amid the war in Ukraine, warning that aid for people facing extreme poverty and hunger must not be sacrificed to meet other spending priorities.
Cahill also urged the private sector to play a greater role in humanitarian response and in helping fragile economies recover from conflict.
"When the private sector is not functioning because of war, our operations become much more difficult and expensive," he said.
Recalling the start of the war in Ukraine, he said some of the companies the WFP relied on had shut down their operations and left, forcing the agency to find alternatives to keep its work going.
He pointed to Iraq and Syria as examples of countries where investment, employment and support for farmers could help consolidate stability and give people greater confidence in the future.
Supporting farmers, local economies
Cahill said the WFP seeks to purchase food from local producers wherever possible, injecting money into local economies while supporting vulnerable farmers.
In Syria, the agency has also used weather-related insurance to help protect farmers against poor rainfall. During a severe drought in northern Syria last year, the WFP supported farmers through an insurance fund, he said.
Cahill emphasized that partnerships with local organizations are essential to delivering assistance effectively. The WFP works with more than 1,000 partners worldwide, including the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) and Turkish nongovernmental organizations, and wants to expand cooperation with such groups.
In Türkiye, the WFP is working with public institutions on initiatives to improve farmers' access to markets and reduce losses. It is also discussing cooperation with the Ministry of National Education on improving school-feeding initiatives and working with other public institutions on social protection and local development.
Cahill said school meals could ease financial pressure on low-income families, encourage school attendance and support children's nutrition. Purchasing food from local farmers would also benefit rural communities, he added.
COP31 must address inequality
Asked what would make COP31 successful, Cahill said climate change requires long-term solutions that extend beyond the immediate crisis response that defines much of the WFP's work.
He stressed that greater equity should be central to international efforts, arguing that people living in the world's poorest communities often have limited opportunities to escape poverty and are among those most exposed to climate-related risks.
"How do we recognize that inequity and how do we build a society that recognizes that and then builds towards it?" he said.
For Cahill, addressing these inequalities means ensuring that vulnerable populations are not left behind as countries pursue climate action and economic development.
He also highlighted the potential for Türkiye to share its experience in social protection with other countries. WFP previously supported large-scale cash assistance for Syrian refugees in Türkiye before handing the program over to the Turkish Red Crescent and the Ministry of Family and Social Services.
He described this kind of cooperation between developing countries as an important way to share experience and build locally appropriate solutions.
As COP31 approaches, Cahill said the international community must look beyond individual crises and recognize the broader political, economic and environmental forces driving hunger.
For the WFP, he added, tackling food insecurity requires not only emergency assistance but also stronger political leadership, sustained humanitarian funding, investment in local economies and a more equitable approach to global development.