The Weaponization of Hunger and the Role of International Organizations

Donato Romano

Working Papers - Economics from Universita' degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Scienze per l'Economia e l'Impresa

Abstract: Over the past two decades, hunger has re-emerged as both a consequence and, in many cases, a deliberate instrument of contemporary armed conflicts. Drawing on approaches from international law, development economics, and comparative political science, this study analyzes the norms prohibiting the use of starvation as a warfare tool, the channels through which conflict generates food insecurity, and the economic mechanisms that perpetuate it. The research shows that, despite the codification of the prohibition in international humanitarian and criminal law, extensive zones of impunity persist due to enforcement limitations, difficulty in providing evidence of intent, and geopolitical interests. Empirically, contemporary conflicts are observed not only to destroy food supply chains but also to restructure the entire food economy, creating new rents and instruments of social control. The conclusion is that hunger in war is not a collateral effect, but an intentionally used political tool. Within this framework, the role of International Organizations proves to be decisive, as they stand at the center of a global system that seeks - through legal norms, diplomatic instruments, and operational interventions - to contain a phenomenon that strikes at the very foundations of the right to life. In the final section, an interdisciplinary agenda is discussed for strengthening legal accountability, economic resilience, and the prevention of hunger in conflict contexts.

Keywords: starvation; conflict; international organizations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 K33 O19 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2026
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