Shocking: Hunger increasingly being used as weapon of war across world

London: Global conflict zones are witnessing a sharp rise in the use of hunger as a deliberate war tactic, with more than 21,000 cases of food-related attacks reported since 2018, a study by Insecurity Insight has revealed. The analysis found that warring forces are systematically striking markets, farms, aid networks and other food infrastructure to cripple civilian survival, despite an existing UN Security Council resolution that outlawed the use of starvation as a weapon in armed conflicts.

Researchers documented 21,403 incidents across 15 countries involving attacks on markets, farms, food convoys and water infrastructure essential for agriculture. Civilian markets used for daily groceries were hit 1,261 times, while food distribution systems faced 863 attacks, many of them involving the killing of aid workers. Farmland was struck 1,909 times, and irrigation and water systems were attacked 563 times, devastating food production and worsening famine risks.

The worst-affected region was the occupied Palestinian territories, where 9,013 attacks were recorded, followed by Yemen and Sudan. In Sudan, one of the latest attacks saw a drone strike a crowded market in West Kordofan, killing 28 civilians. Witnesses said the market appeared to have been deliberately targeted while packed with shoppers.

The report also highlighted repeated attacks in Syria, Mali, Lebanon and Haiti. Between October 2023 and the end of 2025, more than 10,300 people were killed or injured while trying to access food aid.

Humanitarian groups warned that women and children suffer the gravest consequences, with starvation, displacement and the destruction of livelihoods becoming central tactics in modern warfare.