Wars have never helped solve any problem. Rather it has only caused destruction for generations to suffer. Best example is World War II, where apart from the soldiers killed in the war, the number of innocent civilians killed remains unprecedented. The long-lasting destructive effects of the atomic explosions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki still give jitters.
Apart from human casualties, one more consequence of conflict is famine, which causes severe food crises. The majority who suffer are women and children. We have seen this in the past and are experiencing it even now.
At a time when some of the poorest countries are locked in prolonged conflict, a recent report released by the United Nations’ food agencies show that severe food crises threaten hundreds of thousands of people in vulnerable areas, including the Palestinian territories, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.
Conflicts, economic instability, and climate shocks -- combined with reduced funding for emergency food and agriculture assistance -- are driving alarming levels of acute food insecurity in 22 “hunger hotspots,” the report warned.
Rein Paulsen, the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s emergencies director, told a U.N. news conference in New York launching the report that “The spread of conflict, particularly in the Middle East – coupled with climate and economic stressors – is pushing millions to the brink.”
The FAO and the World Food Program said acute food insecurity is projected to worsen across 16 “hunger hotspots” during the next six months, in 14 countries and two regions.
According to the report, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Mali and the Palestinian territories remain at the “highest concern level.
Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Syria and Yemen are classified as “hotspots of very high concern,” where large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity.
Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia. Zambia and Zimbabwe remain on the “hunger hotspot” list from the agencies’ last assessment in May, while Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia and Niger have been added to the list, partly because of climate issues.
The report stated that conflict and armed violence continued to be the primary drivers of hunger in numerous hotspots, disrupting food systems, displacing populations and obstructing humanitarian access.
WFP’s chief economist Arif Husain said other key drivers of hunger were climate extremes and economic deterioration, with most of the identified 22 hotspot countries suffering from multiple challenges.
In Lebanon, the ongoing escalation of conflict is significantly increasing the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance and is severely impacting levels of acute food insecurity, the report added.
If conflicts weren't doing enough damage, weather extremes and increased climate variability are worsening the food insecurity in many regions.
La Niña -- a natural climate pattern that influences global weather marked by cooler ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific – is expected to persist through March 2025, with a significant impact on rainfall patterns and temperatures.
While La Niña may enhance agricultural prospects in some areas, it also increases the risk of flooding in parts of Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
According to an Oxfam report, between 7,000 and 21,000 people are dying from hunger daily in countries affected by conflict. The report also found that conflict is a leading cause of forced displacement, with more than 117 million people displaced globally.
There are multiple examples of the impact of conflict on food security in specific conflict-hit regions.
In 2022, an estimated 43,000 people died from starvation in Somalia. In the first half of 2023, an additional 18,000 to 34,000 people may have died. In South Sudan, the number of people facing starvation and death is expected to nearly double in the four months between April and July 2024.
The Zamzam camp in North Darfur, Sudan, is facing famine, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict. It is estimated that 41 percent of the population in Ghaza, or 876,000 people, will face “emergency” levels of hunger from November until the end of April. Nearly 16 percent, or 345,000 people, will experience the most serious “catastrophic” levels.
Conflict is a primary driver of hunger, and warring parties tend to deliberately target food, water, and energy infrastructure. Climate change is rubbing salt to injury. It is important that world leaders shed their inertia and recognise the destruction caused by war and work towards eradicating poverty and hunger.