‘Labour has an opportunity to lead in breaking the cycle of conflict and malnutrition’

The Munich Security Conference in February will be the first meeting of world leaders on security since the release of the US National Security Strategy in December. It is a moment for Europe to confront the changing nature of global security, with the coming months likely to be among the most consequential in shaping future European and US security dynamics.

For the UK, that must mean recognising that conflict and malnutrition are not peripheral humanitarian concerns but core challenges to be tackled in any credible security posture. While last year Sir Keir Starmer did not attend Munich, this year offers him the chance to lead Britain towards a bolder, more integrated vision of security.

Malnutrition is not only a humanitarian crisis – it is a strategic security threat. More than two million children die every year from preventable malnutrition, and conflict remains one of the leading drivers of acute food insecurity worldwide. Where hunger festers, instability follows. Where war erupts, food systems collapse. The two reinforce one another in a vicious cycle that undermines peace, prosperity, and human dignity. 

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The UK has long prided itself on global leadership in humanitarian response. Yet recent cuts to Official Development Assistance risk eroding hard-won gains. If Labour is serious about building Britain’s reputation abroad and delivering on its manifesto commitments – from tackling migration to driving economic growth – it must recognise that addressing malnutrition and conflict together is not optional, but essential. 

Integrated approaches work. Evidence from Afghanistan and Angola shows that combining areas like mine clearance with nutrition services and agricultural recovery unlocks resilience, restores livelihoods, and reduces long-term dependency on aid. Clearance of landmines doesn’t just save lives – it reopens farmland, schools, and markets, enabling communities to feed themselves and rebuild.  

The World Food Programmes have estimated that for every 1% increase in food insecurity drives a 2% rise in migration. Hunger fuels instability, and instability fuels insecurity that reaches our own borders. By tackling malnutrition and conflict together, Labour can deliver a foreign policy that is both principled and pragmatic in taking on some of the significant challenges we face today. 

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What Labour must now do is formalise strategies that tie together humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts into a coherent whole. Too often, these strands are treated as separate silos, with aid workers focusing on immediate relief, development agencies on long-term growth, and diplomats on peace negotiations. Yet the reality on the ground is that families do not experience these challenges in isolation.  

By embedding nutrition into peacebuilding frameworks and ensuring that humanitarian interventions are linked to development outcomes, Labour can demonstrate that Britain understands the complexity of modern crises and is prepared to respond with sophistication. 

Scaling up malnutrition services in conflict zones must also be a priority. High-impact, cost effective interventions such as Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and prenatal vitamins for pregnant women (MMS) have proven to save lives quickly and at scale, but they remain underfunded and inconsistently deployed. 

Equally, mine action must be recognised as a foundational step for nutrition outcomes. It is impossible to talk about food security when farmland is littered with explosives. Demining is not simply a technical exercise – it is a prerequisite for rebuilding societies. By integrating mine clearance with food security programming, Labour can ensure that humanitarian aid is not just about keeping people alive today but about enabling them to thrive tomorrow.  

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Ultimately, the UK’s policy on Official Development Assistance must move beyond treating malnutrition and conflict as separate humanitarian concerns and tackle them as interconnected security threats. 

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