Starvation Amidst Strife: The Rise of Food Insecurity in Conflict Zones

Abstract

The Geneva Academy monitors 110 ongoing armed conflicts, most lasting over 50 years. Disputes take many forms in international conflicts; however, this literature review will primarily focus on the food insecurity crisis in international armed conflicts, namely the Russo-Ukrainian and Israel-Hamas Wars. International armed conflicts affect food insecurity in various ways, from economic restrictions to farmer displacement and soil pollution. This literature review analyzes the history of the aforementioned international conflicts and the role of food insecurity in them. It also identifies countermeasures currently being implemented to combat food insecurity and potential solutions to mitigate the stress it causes. Several themes in the food insecurity crisis of our international conflict target regions were identified through research, which concludes that global conflicts contribute to food insecurity in various ways. Many policies are currently being implemented to increase food access and production in the targeted areas, some more effective than others. Of all the policies being implemented, foreign aid designated for agricultural organizations and cultivating programs has shown to be the most practical and efficient solution. In addition to foreign aid, agricultural strategies of bio-engineering, including breeding biodiversity, incorporating seed banks, and utilizing aquaponics in households, along with protective economic policies, were solutions that could have promising results in the struggle against food insecurity.