By Lara Kajs
Dispatches from the Field—The Genocide Report
Washington, DC—29 July 2025
Starvation, hunger, and famine are not abstract concepts—they are the lived reality of millions of civilians caught in armed conflict. Beyond bullets and bombs, deliberate or negligent deprivation of food and water devastates populations, particularly children, and represents both a humanitarian crisis and a warning sign for potential atrocities. Understanding these conditions through the lens of international humanitarian law (IHL) is essential to prevent further suffering and hold perpetrators accountable.
In times of armed conflict, civilian suffering often extends beyond the direct violence of war. One of the most devastating consequences is the denial of basic human needs, such as food and water. Starvation, hunger, and famine are terms used to describe these dire conditions—but they also carry significant legal weight under IHL. Warring parties are forbidden from depriving civilians of essential sustenance, must prevent unnecessary suffering, and are required to uphold human dignity.
Starvation: A War Crime
Starvation involves the deliberate withholding of food and essential supplies, typically to compel surrender or compliance. During armed conflict, it refers specifically to intentionally depriving civilians of nourishment as a tactic of warfare. Sieges, blockades, and scorched-earth campaigns often employ starvation to achieve military objectives.
Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions prohibits starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. Even in conflict, the protection of non-combatants is central to IHL. Violations may constitute war crimes, prosecutable under the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Starvation is not collateral damage—it is a weapon that destroys lives, violates law, and signals the need for immediate accountability.”
Hunger: A Consequence of War
Hunger arises when civilians lack sufficient food, leading to malnutrition and health deterioration. While hunger alone is not automatically a war crime, systematic or deliberate denial of food can violate IHL. Blocking humanitarian aid, destroying crops, or impeding food distribution may render warring parties legally responsible for creating hunger. Unlike starvation, hunger may result from negligence or the indirect consequences of conflict.
Famine: A Broader Humanitarian Crisis
Famine denotes large-scale food scarcity, leading to widespread malnutrition, disease, and death. While famine can occur without armed conflict, war amplifies its severity by disrupting agriculture, supply chains, and humanitarian access.
Deliberate tactics—blockades, scorched-earth policies, or obstruction of aid—can convert famine into a weapon of war.
Organizations like the UN, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) provide life-saving aid. Under IHL, famine should never be used as an instrument of military or political strategy.
Depriving Civilians of Food and Water
IHL establishes strict rules for protecting civilians, particularly regarding food and water. The principles of distinction and proportionality require parties to target only combatants and avoid excessive civilian harm. Depriving civilians of sustenance violates both principles.
Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions mandates humane treatment of civilians. Article 55 of Additional Protocol I prohibits starvation through deprivation of food or water and requires parties to facilitate humanitarian assistance. Article 8(2)(b)(xxv) of the Rome Statute classifies intentional deprivation of essentials or obstruction of relief as war crimes. Both state and non-state actors must ensure access to food, clean water, and medical care, regardless of territory or occupation.
The Role of Humanitarian Aid
Humanitarian organizations play a critical role in delivering food and water. Neutrality and impartiality must be respected; attacks or blockages of humanitarian convoys are prohibited and may constitute war crimes.
Starvation, hunger, and famine are not only humanitarian crises—they are potential war crimes when used intentionally. IHL protects the right to life and dignity even amid conflict. Warring parties must take all feasible measures to ensure civilians have access to basic necessities. To do otherwise violates both legal obligations and the moral imperative to safeguard humanity.
Photo Credit: A severely malnourished boy in Gaza. Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly called for Israel to allow considerably more food, water, and medical supplies into Gaza to prevent the ongoing humanitarian disaster. TGR Photo: JNzari.
Atrocity Prevention Lens
Deliberate deprivation of food and water is a key indicator of emerging atrocity crimes, including crimes against humanity and genocide. Monitoring access to essentials in conflict zones allows early identification of systematic targeting of civilian populations. Protecting civilians from starvation is both a humanitarian necessity and a preventative measure against mass atrocities.
Legal Framework
Genocide Convention
Targeting food or water to destroy, in whole or in part, a protected group—including children—may meet the threshold for genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention.
International Humanitarian Law (IHL)
The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols prohibit attacks on civilians and the use of starvation as a method of warfare. Parties must allow safe delivery of humanitarian aid. Article 54 (API) and Common Article 3 provide clear legal protections for food and water access.
Rome Statute
Article 8(2)(b)(xxv) classifies intentional starvation or obstructing relief supplies as war crimes. Both state and non-state actors are legally obliged to provide civilians with essentials during conflict.
About TGR
The Genocide Report (TGR) publishes analysis and educational resources on conflict, international law, and atrocity prevention. Its work seeks to bridge academic research, field realities, and public understanding of mass violence and civilian protection.
About the Author
Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report, a Washington, DC-based educational nonprofit focused on atrocity prevention and international law. She is the author of several field-based books on conflict, displacement, humanitarian crises, and international humanitarian law, drawing on extensive research and field experience in Yemen, Syria, and Afghanistan. Her writing and public speaking focus on atrocity crimes, forced displacement, the protection of civilians, and the legal frameworks governing armed conflict.