Calls to prosecute the war crime of starvation are getting loud and more often.
,[Famine] At this time there is a cry of war around the world. But it has to be stopped, it is against the International Humanitarian law, “Sudan -based Group Paema (to eliminate and eliminate and end and end) Sudan’s Senior Advisor Shayana Lewis recently stated that there is food for about 30,000 people.
“This is a crime international and needs to be prosecuted,” Lewis argued.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International And Human Rights WatchThe Gaza Strip has said the same about Israeli’s help and food blockade.
“Israel is hungry for Gaza. It is a genocide. It is a crime against humanity. It is a war crime,” Michael Fakhri, the United Nations Special Reporter over the right to food. Told the UK newspaper Guardian finals week,
Food as a weapon of war
Experts say that there are more calls to prosecute the starvation of citizens as a crime, it is that the struggle is causing more famine.
In the first decade of this century, there was very little famine, the World Peace Foundation or WPF researchers wrote. 2022 collection of essays, “Accountability for starvation.” But recently it has changed.
“This is an ancient phenomenon, fighting bees that have used it for centuries,” says Rebecca Bakos Blutenl, Netherlands-based Law Foundation, Global Rights Compliance, or a legal advisor to the starvation accounting project run by GRC. After 2015, such a strategy has been reunited, he noted.
In the last decade, there have been famine related to conflict in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Food safety experts suggest Russian attacks on Ukraine’s agricultural sector can be seen as criminal efforts to make food weapons.
Originally getting more again about this war crime, they argue.
“Even though global food security is improving, the famine incident is increasing,” Professor Alex D Wall of the University of Tufts in the US and the head of WPF research in massive starvation, Alex de Walle, Alex de Walle, Wrote last week“It tells us that global food security is more unstable and uneven. It is in line with the hunger used as a weapon.”
Preventing food or other essential foods War is classified as a crime In various repetitions of international law along with many countries, including Geneva Conferences and Rome laws (which are implemented by the International Criminal Court, or ICC).
But so far, people who have never been brought for testing “weapons”: a starvation crime never prosecuted themselves in an international court, only a part of cases of about 20 oath war crimes.
And just because citizens are hungry in a struggle, it does not mean that there was a crime.
“One of the issues in the law is the question of the intention,” D Wall told DW. “The criminal is working with the intentions that the war of starvation is required for the crime.”
The starvation occurs over the long term, describing D Wall, and some legal scholars have argued that it should prove that a criminal intends to keep people hungry from the beginning, for example, a win or blockade.
But most legal experts believe that “indirect intentions,” de Wall explains. That is, it is clear that starvation will “in the general course of events”, and the culprit knows that they have opportunities to stop it, but did not do so.
Another issue for any legal case related to starvation is a lack of example, and which is the jurisdiction over the alleged war criminals of international or national courts.
Changing the idea of starvation as war crime
Until a few years ago, starvation was often seen as a developmental or human issue, describing GRC’s bluemintal. But now more attention is being paid to its criminal aspects.
“I have worked for a lot of years on the issue for a lot of years and this This Thys slowly moves forward,” BluMemental, who has been looking at the topic since 2020. ,
In 2018, United Nations Security Council Unanimously passed resolution 2417“Citizens die hungry as a method of war.”
In 2019, there were changes in Rome law, which was making starvation a war crime even in non-international armed struggles, rather than only international. Hence, the subjects of investigation on struggles in South Sudan and Ethiopia-Gre have been focused on the theme of starvation especially as a war crime, explaining the bluemintal.
,We are looking too much international And the local organizations, together with the accountability mechanism, call it out and some striking examples, such as in the case of Gaza, in fact, awareness around the crime has increased, “she notes.
In fact, in November 2024, the ICC warrant issued against Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yov Galant, especially mentioning the battle crime of starvation, is a “historic milestone,” BlueMeManth. This is the first time that international warrants have been issued for starvation as a stand-alone crime. The ICC has conducted an open investigation in Sudan, she says.
“The issue has undoubtedly attracted more attention in the last 10 years,” D Wall confirmed. “Legal structures are in everywhere. Is it a political will to do lacquer work.”
Will the criminals of starvation end in court anytime?
There are still judicial challenges, D Wall told DW. “But I am confident that there are many cases for which punishment is possible. This requires only to receive the accused in court.”
Bluemental agrees. “There are misunderstandings around it and many people think [starvation] It is an indispensable part of the war, “She says.” But during our intensive investigation, it is surprising how quickly it becomes clear that the actual thesis patterns are very strong and in many situations, you can make a deliberate strategy. ,
Bluememental is careful with caution that one day soon people who deliberately starve the citizens will have to face justice.
“It is definitely hopeful,” she concludes. “This is what we are working towards.”
Edited by: Carla Blekar
