Is hunger the deadliest weapon of modern conflict?

The scale of starvation internationally is a testament to our collective failure so far to deliver on our obligations to our fellow humans, Chef Andrés Torres writes.

In the 5th Century, Sun Tzu wrote about how starvation could be used as a tactic of war, to starve out ones’ enemy until they are desperate enough to surrender.
While other aspects of war have changed, moving from horseback to tanks and swords to machine guns, it appears that removing the basic needs to survive remains in use.
Some 783 million people around the world do not have enough food to eat, and more than 85% of those people live in conflict-affected countries.
This is not a coincidence.
Starvation is being deliberately used by aggressors in conflict zones from Gaza and Ukraine to Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In 2018, the UN passed Resolution 2417, recognising the link between conflict and famine. Today, conflict remains the main driver of acute and chronic food insecurity.
The weaponisation of hunger must be recognised in the ways that key actors, such as the EU and UN, engage in humanitarian work and the pursuit of peace.
While we have seen substantial increases in the money dedicated to humanitarian food assistance, particularly in the conflict in Ukraine, the lack of recognition of this link continues to hinder effective support.
Negotiations over humanitarian aid continue to cast doubt over the long-term value of food aid compared to other types of aid, and yet, in modern conflict, addressing food insecurity is at the heart of the solution.
In August, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich suggested the deliberate starvation of Gazans could be “justified and moral,” in pursuit of the country’s objectives, following the accusation by the International Criminal Court that the Israeli leadership is deliberately using hunger as a tactic of war.
Actions taken by Israel to impede the delivery of humanitarian aid and destroy critical infrastructure have resulted in UN experts declaring a famine across Gaza.
The deaths of children in all parts of the territory from malnutrition and dehydration have been described as part of Israel’s “genocidal starvation campaign”.
Russia has faced similar accusations in its conflict with Ukraine, deliberately destroying aid distribution points and restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid, for example, to Mariupol during its assault on the city in early 2022, leaving citizens without access to food or safe drinking water.
These examples have received significant attention and aid, albeit in insufficient amounts to fully tackle the problem, but there are others that are less well-known and less urgently responded to.
In Sudan, more than 2.5 million Sudanese people are staring down potentially the “world’s worst hunger crisis” as both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces continue to starve the civilians caught between them during the conflict that has been raging for over a year — each side accusing the other of blocking aid delivery.
Save the Children estimates that three in four Sudanese children are now experiencing daily hunger. This hunger is itself being exploited, as malnourished children are lured into joining armed groups with promises of food, and then required to participate in horrifying violence.
Despite this imminent humanitarian disaster, the international response has not matched the need. While $2 billion was pledged at a dedicated conference in April 2024, less than half that amount was intended for humanitarian aid, and much of that has not materialised.
Unfortunately, this is not unusual. 60% of the deaths in the decade-long civil war in Yemen are estimated to be the result of starvation. However, humanitarian fundraising efforts in 2023 fell $3.1 billion short of the target set by the UN.
During 2023, shortfalls in funding meant food aid was withdrawn from 10 million Afghans between May and November.
The solutions to such an extensive and desperate problem lie in part with those who have the lived experience of how to survive such gruelling situations and also with organisations with deep local knowledge that support them.
Such organisations use their creativity and agility to deliver solutions and raise funds, often punching well above their weight with the few resources at their disposal.
However, nation-states have moral and legal obligations to provide aid to address conflict-related starvation and food insecurity. Nations, acting collectively, are amongst the only actors with the potential to operate at the scale required.
Ultimately, the only way to end starvation for those displaced from their lives and land by violence is to secure lasting peace and stability. Any long-term plan must prioritise peace-building efforts.
Starving people are dependent on help from outside to first meet their immediate needs before anything more can be done to begin rebuilding a country or a people and reduce reliance on external support. However, the prevention of deaths from starvation requires immediate, practical and effective action.
As conflict reaches new post-World War II highs, food insecurity is growing year on year. Protection from hunger and malnutrition is a basic human right that democratic nation-states around the world are obliged to defend.
At a time when uncertainties around the reliability of key allies are growing, it is imperative that the EU holds steady and continues the drive towards zero hunger.
The scale of starvation internationally is a testament to our collective failure so far to deliver on our obligations to our fellow humans.
Of course, providing the necessary humanitarian aid is extremely challenging, but it is not impossible. Neither is it optional, as the lives of millions of people in the most desperate situations depend on it.
Chef Andrés Torres is the founder of NGO Global Humanitaria and the owner and head chef of Michelin Green-Starred restaurant Casa Nova located in Sant Martí Sarroca, Barcelona. He was awarded the Basque Culinary World Prize 2024 in recognition of the impact of his cooking, sustainability, and humanitarian efforts.
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