Beyond Food as a Weapon of War: Conflict, Hunger and Strategic Violence in Crisis

THE INTERNATIONAL LAW ASSOCIATION – IRISH BRANCH

in association with

THE IRISH CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS hosted a talk entitled

Short Abstract

Violent conflict is the single greatest driver of acute food crises. This study analyses records of food-related violence in Africa over the past 20 years to identify patterns in the leveraging of food and food systems in contemporary conflict. Preliminary findings indicate that this violence is i) both common and increasing over time; ii) disproportionately directed at civilians; and iii) perpetrated by a diverse, and increasingly fragmented, range of (often informal) armed actors. The preliminary findings suggest the value of exploring continuities between atrocities and more quotidian acts of political violence, and point to potential challenges and opportunities for the application of international law in fragmented conflict environments