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Sun Tzu -

Fifth-century Chinese philosopher and author of 'The Art of War,' Sun Tzu outlined the use of starvation as a tactic to make an enemy surrender.

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Roman Empire -

The history of warfare is certainly full of such examples. At least as far back as the Roman Empire, this tactic has been used to try to make way on strategies to weaken opponents in war.

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Collective punishment -

An act of collective punishment, the tactic to deprive people of their basic needs to survive often targets civilian populations. It’s commonly referred to as a type of “siege warfare.”

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Hundred Years’ War -

During the Hundred Years’ War, the English decided to cut off food supplies to the French. The effects were catastrophic, leading to the French surrender after just a few months.

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Tactic used throughout the 17th century -

Throughout the 17th century during the many conflicts that erupted throughout Europe, the tactic to destroy food supplies was a strategy conducted by most actors, often leading to periods of famine and starvation.

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Lieber Code -

In 1863, under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, the United States issued a policy on the lawful use of starvation to drive an enemy to surrender. This is commonly referred to as the Lieber Code. The United States Department of Defense only rescinded this position well over a century later, in 2015.

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Irish Famine -

British colonial policies aggravated Ireland’s potato famine, provoked by a crop infection. The well-known Irish Famine lead to the death of at least a million people.

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Starvation remained -

These are just a few examples of how the tactic was widely used historically, particularly before modern warfare accelerated. Yet even as advancements in terms of weapons continued to quickly evolve, starvation remained a key tactic.

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World War I -

World War I was characterized by its brutal starvation attempts against opposition armies. Britain was blockaded by Germany, provoking widespread hunger. The Ottoman Empire, too, used these tactics throughout the Caucasus region.

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Russian Revolution -

Simultaneously, during the Russian Revolution and its Civil War, the starvation campaign primarily affected the southeastern areas of Russia and today’s Ukraine.

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Mass famine -

Already facing food shortages as a result of World War I, the situation was exacerbated. The desperation of people forced thousands to engage in cannibalism to survive. Disease erupted. At least five million died as a result of mass famine.

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Siege of Leningrad -

A couple of decades later, during the outbreak of World War II, the Nazi Germany-led Siege of Leningrad, a 900-day campaign, resulted in the starvation of over one million people.

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Nazi concentration camps -

The Nazis also used the tactic of starvation as part of their extermination tactics against the Jewish, Roma, and other groups of people that were forced into concentration camps.

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Numbers unclear -

The number of people who died by hunger campaigns during the Holocaust is unclear, as even those who were killed in gas chambers were already emaciated.

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Millions killed by starvation -

The Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cambodian Genocide, and so many other wars that occurred during the mid-20th century used strategies of starvation, killing millions of civilians.

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Ethiopia’s Civil War -

The blocking of aid distribution, farming disruptions, and other tactics to use food as a weapon were rampant during Ethiopia’s Civil War. These tactics provoked hundreds of thousands of refugees, millions of displaced people, and left over one million people dead.

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Yugoslav Wars -

In the 1990s, the Siege of Sarajevo, the Kosovo War, and other wars of independence during the dissolution of Yugoslavia often included tactics of collective punishment, including starvation as a weapon of war.

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United Nations Security Council resolution -

Although quite delayed, in May 2018 the United Nations Security Council first acknowledged the use of starvation as a weapon of war, passing a resolution condemning the use of such a tactic.

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Distribution of humanitarian aid -

The resolution demands unimpeded access to populations during wartime to adequately distribute humanitarian aid. Yet the reality on the ground continues to be much different than the resolution implores.

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Ongoing famine -

Catastrophic levels of famine continue to occur well after the United Nations resolution was issued. In fact, relief operations are regularly blocked or even deliberately targeted by armies.

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World Central Kitchen -

In April 2024, Israeli forces used drone strikes to attack a convoy of three World Central Kitchen vehicles escorting aid trucks. The convoy had already shared and agreed upon their route with the Israeli army before leaving a food warehouse.

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Aid workers killed -

Seven aid workers were killed in the attack. The World Central Kitchen was, at the time, providing hundreds of thousands of meals across Gaza. The Israeli army called the incident a "grave mistake," yet hundreds of humanitarian aid workers have been killed since then.

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Response to ICC accusation -

In response to the International Criminal Court’s accusation that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued that the deliberate starvation of the Gazan population is both “justified and moral.”

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Oxfam -

The international non-profit organization Oxfam expressed in October 2024 that Israel was deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war, leaving all of Gaza in dire risk of mass famine. No aid entered the area of northern Gaza for over 40 days between October-November 2024.

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Syria -

In Syria, amid a food crisis that is affecting over 12 million Syrians, organizations like the UN World Food Programme were forced to cut assistance in the country in 2024, due to insufficient funding.

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Idlib -

In the city of Idlib, where rebel factions continue to exercise control over the area, the Assad regime continues to bar humanitarian aid, while airstrikes from the Syrian government and its Russian ally continue to destroy the city.

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Sudan -

In Sudan, an ongoing civil conflict has led to the displacement of 11 million people. Extreme famine is rampant throughout the country, including reports of starvation in Khartoum. Both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces are using hunger as a weapon in the conflict, leaving millions at risk.

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Yemen -

In Yemen, where war has ravaged the nation since 2015, more than 80% live in mass poverty. According to the World Food Programme, over 17 million Yemenis are at risk of starvation.

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Democratic Republic of the Congo -

In the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, conflict has led to mass displacement. Over 25% of the country faces food insecurity, with some areas at risk of famine due to sieges by rebel groups.

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Obligations -

The use of starvation as a weapon of war can be witnessed today in many regions around the world. But all nations and non-state actors involved in conflicts have an obligation to allow humanitarian aid to be distributed.

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Danger looms -

Yet as danger looms and the targeting of humanitarian workers remains prevalent, international organizations face difficult decisions on how to conduct their work within volatile circumstances that place aid, civilians, and personnel at risk.

Sources: (Euronews) (National Geographic) (UN World Food Programme) (Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum) (University of Warwick) (The Guardian) (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory) (Ancient World Magazine) (DW) (Nobel Peace Center) (Historical Association) (Al Jazeera) (Human Rights Watch)

See also: Russia, Iran, China, and the West’s strategic influence on Syria

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