Combating Famine in Armed Conflicts under International Humanitarian Law

Abstract

Starvation is considered one of the most serious practices committed during armed conflicts, as it poses a direct threat to the survival of the civilian population and transforms into a method of warfare that extends beyond military objectives to target the essential foundations of civilian life. Despite the clarity of the international legal framework prohibiting and criminalizing starvation—whether under international humanitarian law or international criminal law—the realities of contemporary armed conflicts reveal the continued use of starvation in both direct and indirect forms, through sieges, obstruction of humanitarian assistance, targeting objects indispensable for civilian survival, and disrupting food production chains, ultimately resulting in famine as an intended or foreseeable outcome of military operations.

This research aims to analyze the legal framework prohibiting starvation, trace the development of its recognition as a war crime, and highlight the challenges related to defining famine in contemporary contexts between humanitarian and legal approaches. The study also addresses the obligations imposed on parties to the conflict and the international community to prevent famine, ensure the unhindered passage of humanitarian assistance, and prevent the instrumentalization of food for military or political purposes. Furthermore, the research examines mechanisms for international accountability regarding starvation crimes and the evolving role of the Rome Statute and relevant international resolutions, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018). The study concludes that combating famine in armed conflicts requires not only the strengthening of accountability mechanisms but also reinforcing preventive obligations and activating international will to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and prevent the use of food as a weapon or tool of coercion against civilians.