Special Report
Hunger is increasingly being weaponized in modern conflicts as attacks targeting food systems, farmland, markets and humanitarian aid operations continue rising across multiple war zones, according to new international analysis and UN-linked humanitarian data.
Researchers monitoring global conflict trends say more than 20,000 incidents of “food-related violence” have been documented since 2018, highlighting what experts describe as a growing pattern of deliberate attacks on civilian survival systems during war.
The findings, compiled by conflict-monitoring organization Insecurity Insight and humanitarian agencies, show repeated strikes on food markets, agricultural land, water systems and aid distribution networks across countries including Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Haiti and Mali.
Analysts say the trend reflects a dangerous shift in modern warfare, where starvation and the destruction of food infrastructure are increasingly being used to pressure civilian populations and weaken communities trapped inside conflict zones.
The analysis recorded more than 1,200 attacks on public markets, nearly 2,000 strikes on farmland and hundreds of incidents targeting water infrastructure essential for agriculture and food production.
Humanitarian officials warn that such attacks are not only disrupting food supplies in the short term but are also destroying local economies and creating long-term risks of famine, displacement and social collapse.
The issue has become a growing concern inside the United Nations, particularly after repeated warnings from aid agencies operating in Gaza and Sudan, where hunger crises have dramatically intensified over the past two years.
UN-linked food security assessments estimate that hundreds of millions of people worldwide now face acute hunger driven by conflict, economic instability and climate-related disasters.
International humanitarian law explicitly prohibits the use of starvation against civilians during armed conflict. In 2018, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2417 condemning the use of hunger as a method of warfare and the obstruction of humanitarian aid.
Despite those legal protections, humanitarian organizations argue that enforcement mechanisms remain weak and accountability for violations is often limited.
Aid agencies say civilians are increasingly being placed at risk even while attempting to access food assistance. Researchers found that thousands of people have been killed or injured while seeking humanitarian aid in conflict zones since late 2023.
Food security experts warn that women and children remain among the most vulnerable victims of conflict-driven hunger, particularly in regions where prolonged violence has devastated local food production and humanitarian access.
The World Food Programme has repeatedly identified armed conflict as the primary driver behind most of the world’s major hunger crises, warning that food insecurity is becoming deeply concentrated in countries affected by war and political instability.
Analysts say the latest findings underscore growing international concern that attacks on food systems are becoming normalized in modern warfare despite widespread global condemnation.
Humanitarian organizations and UN agencies are now calling for stronger international enforcement measures to protect food infrastructure, humanitarian corridors and civilian access to basic necessities during armed conflicts.