College of Law

Food Security and Starvation Crimes

A flagrant violation of the human right to life – Gaza as a model

A specialized legal article by Dr. Ahmed Faris Idris

Teacher of International Humanitarian Law at the College of Law, University of Mosul

Introduction:

Amid the tragedies plaguing the Gaza Strip, we cannot ignore the systematic policy of starvation used as a means of warfare against the civilian population. This is a grave violation of human dignity and a flagrant breach of the peremptory norms of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

What is happening in Gaza is no longer a traditional conflict. Rather, it is a siege, starvation, the systematic targeting of civilians, and the deliberate denial of food and medical aid, which constitutes a crime against humanity according to international legal standards.

First: Starvation as a weapon is prohibited under international law.

Article (54) of the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1977 explicitly prohibits the use of starvation as a method of warfare, affirming that “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is absolutely prohibited.” The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, in Article (8/2/b/25), criminalizes the deliberate use of starvation against civilians as a war crime.

In the case of Gaza, this crime is embodied in:

• Cutting off food and medical supplies.

• Destroying agricultural infrastructure.

• Imposing a comprehensive blockade and preventing the entry of essential materials.

• Obstructing humanitarian aid and preventing the work of international agencies and organizations.

Second: Food security is a fundamental human right.

International human rights agreements—particularly the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights—have affirmed that the right to food is an inalienable right. Article (11) of the Covenant states that “States Parties recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food and water.” “Food.”

In Gaza, this right is being publicly trampled on and taken from the mouths of the hungry, in the absence of any firm stance from the international or even regional community.

Third: The Role of the International Community and Its Duties

In light of the documented crimes and damning evidence, international silence can only be interpreted as a form of complicity or indifference to the suffering of an entire people. The international community must:

• Press for the opening of safe humanitarian corridors.

• Impose oversight on the parties’ obligations under international law.

• Allow humanitarian organizations—chief among them the International Committee of the Red Cross—unhindered access to provide food and medical support.

• Initiate international investigations into crimes of starvation and bring those responsible to international criminal accountability.

Conclusion:

A humanitarian responsibility before a legal one. What is happening in Gaza is more than just a political crisis or a military conflict. It is a human tragedy in every sense of the word, in which hunger is used as a weapon, human dignity is violated, and the most basic of rights: the right to life, is confiscated.

Silence regarding these violations is no longer acceptable. The moral and humanitarian imperative requires a decisive Arab, Islamic, and international stance. The time has come to move beyond symbolic statements and positions and toward practical steps that protect lives and guarantee the human dignity of a people who seek nothing but life.

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