Razan Zuayter, APN Chairperson and Founder of the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty, called out the lack of engagement by relevant international organisations — particularly the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) — in addressing critical issues in the region, notably the ongoing weaponisation of food in countries such as Palestine and Lebanon.

This statement was made during her interventions at the FAO Regional Consultative Technical Meeting on February 10 ahead of the 38th session of the FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC-38). 

Also ahead of NERC-38, during the Senior Officials Meeting from 24–26 March 2026, Zuayter called on the FAO to take an urgent and effective role in supporting recovery pathways and peacebuilding in the region, one of the organization’s core mandates.