In 2023, 282 million people worldwide faced acute food insecurity1 – nearly triple the figure
recorded in 2016. Year after year, conflict continues to be the primary driver of hunger and malnutrition, including for 135 million people in over 20 countries and territories in 2023. Civilians bear the brunt of these conflicts, as livelihoods collapse, food production halts, communities are displaced and access to markets and health services becomes limited.
These figures are unacceptable and avoidable, and they call for extensive and concerted intervention. The human right to adequate food was initially inscribed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is recognised in several instruments under international law. Alarmingly, however, hunger is often deliberately used as a weapon of warfare. Actions aimed at harming civilians are preventable, and they contravene provisions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) that protect civilians in conflict. Whether driven by deliberate intent or not, the devastating impact of conflict on civilian’s access to food must be addressed.
In 2018 the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2417 (UNSCR 2417), which recognises the link between conflict and hunger and condemns the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, as well as the unlawful denial of humanitarian access to civilian populations.
This ground-breaking resolution identifies conflict-induced hunger as a matter of international peace and security and demands compliance with IHL. Yet its adoption has not significantly influenced the conduct of hostilities.
Concerted global action remains insufficient, fostering a sense of impunity for parties to conflict. Moreover, high-level engagement must shift to a longer-term approach, integrate development programming, and focus on peace-building, good governance and democracy in post-conflict environments to avoid the danger of relapse into conflict.