Hunger increasingly weaponised in global conflicts, report warns

Published: 24 May 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A growing number of conflicts around the world are increasingly using hunger as a weapon of war, with new analysis revealing more than 20,000 documented incidents of attacks on food systems, markets, farmland, and aid distribution networks since 2018.

The findings, based on data compiled by researchers at Insecurity Insight and released ahead of the anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 2417, highlight what experts describe as a sustained and worsening pattern of “food-related violence” across multiple conflict zones.

The analysis shows that attacks have not only targeted military infrastructure but have increasingly focused on the systems that sustain civilian populations. These include marketplaces used for daily food shopping, agricultural land essential for crop production, and humanitarian supply routes responsible for delivering aid to vulnerable communities.

According to the data, more than 21,000 incidents were recorded in 15 countries, with thousands of attacks directed at markets, farming areas, water infrastructure and food distribution systems. Researchers also identified hundreds of incidents where aid workers and civilians attempting to access food were killed or injured during violent operations.

Among the most severely affected regions is the occupied Palestinian territories, where the report records thousands of incidents involving damage to food infrastructure. Other heavily impacted areas include Yemen and Sudan, where ongoing conflicts have severely disrupted supply chains and contributed to widespread food insecurity.

The research highlights that the targeting of food systems has become a recurring feature of modern warfare, rather than an isolated consequence of conflict. Analysts say the deliberate destruction or disruption of food access represents a strategic method of exerting pressure on civilian populations and weakening societal stability.

Humanitarian organisations warn that such tactics are contributing to rising levels of famine risk in several regions. In Sudan, for example, recent attacks on markets have resulted in significant civilian casualties, while also destroying essential supply points used by local communities. Similar patterns have been reported in parts of Syria, Mali, and other conflict-affected states where governance structures have weakened.

Experts involved in the research argue that the trend reflects a broader failure by the international community to enforce existing legal frameworks designed to prevent starvation as a method of warfare. UN Security Council Resolution 2417, adopted in 2018, explicitly condemns the use of starvation against civilians and calls for accountability when humanitarian access is deliberately obstructed.

However, researchers say that despite the resolution’s legal and moral clarity, implementation has been inconsistent. The continued rise in documented incidents suggests that enforcement mechanisms remain weak, allowing violations to persist across multiple conflict zones.

Humanitarian groups have expressed concern that the scale of food-related violence is often underreported, particularly in remote or inaccessible regions. Many incidents go undocumented due to ongoing insecurity, limited monitoring capacity, and restrictions on media access in active war zones.

Aid organisations also report that civilians are increasingly exposed to danger simply while attempting to obtain basic food supplies. Between late 2023 and 2025, thousands of people were reportedly killed or injured while travelling to markets, collecting aid, or waiting at distribution points.

According to researchers, women and children are disproportionately affected by the disruption of food systems. In many conflict-affected communities, women often bear the primary responsibility for securing household food, forcing them to travel longer distances in dangerous conditions or reduce their own food intake to prioritise dependents.

The report warns that the long-term consequences of sustained food insecurity extend beyond immediate survival risks. Malnutrition in children, reduced educational opportunities, and long-term health impacts are all cited as lasting effects of conflict-driven hunger.

International agencies have repeatedly stressed that conflict remains the leading driver of acute food insecurity worldwide, accounting for a significant share of global hunger cases. Recent UN assessments suggest that a small number of conflict-affected countries now account for the majority of the world’s most severe food crises, indicating a growing concentration of humanitarian emergencies.

Aid workers say that despite repeated warnings, attacks on food systems continue with alarming frequency, often with limited accountability. They argue that stronger international action is needed not only to respond to famine conditions after they occur, but to prevent the deliberate targeting of food infrastructure in the first place.

The findings have renewed calls for greater political commitment from member states to enforce international humanitarian law and ensure that starvation is not used as a weapon in modern warfare. Experts warn that without stronger deterrence, the trend of food-related violence is likely to continue, deepening global hunger crises and increasing instability in already fragile regions.