Introduction
The right to life, protected by international law and acknowledged as a fundamental value by major religions, is increasingly becoming an empty concept in a violent and cruel world that has lost sight of common good and interdependence essential to survival on this planet. The right to life encompasses, as a basic premise, the right to consume enough food and water for healthy living—not merely the absence of disease but the ability to face environmental challenges and changes. It should also include, as an indispensable condition, the right to a dignified life rather than mere survival and miserable existence.
Gaza’s Catastrophic Famine
Last Friday, the United Nations declared a catastrophic famine stage 5 in Gaza’s governorate, marking the first famine in the Middle East. The UN warned that a similar situation exists in Gaza’s northern region, which could spread to other areas. According to their report, this is a “human-made disaster, a moral criticism, and a human failure,” encompassing not just food scarcity but the “deliberate collapse of life-sustaining systems.” The situation is particularly egregious as thousands of tons of food accumulate at the border while people starve.
The UN’s report states that 500,000 people in Gaza face the catastrophic level of food insecurity, 1.7 million live in emergency situations, and 396,000 suffer chronic food insecurity. Worse still, the IPC predicts that even less affected populations will face famine in the coming months.
UN Demands and Calls for Action
In response, the UN calls for an immediate ceasefire and demands that Israel, responsible for this catastrophe, allow “immediate and large-scale humanitarian aid” to prevent further “death by starvation, worsening acute malnutrition, and plummeting food consumption” across the Strip. Using hunger as a weapon of war is a war crime, though Western governments continue to “lament” instead of imposing at least trade sanctions on Israel.
Ethical Dilemmas and African Conflicts
It’s challenging to fathom how tens of thousands of people survive without food for days, or how mothers cope with the agonizing death of their starving children. More difficult still is rationalizing Israeli warnings for people to flee areas targeted for attack, especially considering the plight of the sick, elderly, disabled, wounded, malnourished, and mutilated.
Beyond the dubious conscience of humanity, we, as inhabitants of an over-informed yet misinformed planet, will also bear the weight of expanding famines in African nations ravaged by brutal conflicts causing widespread food insecurity.
According to the CIF, 167.3 million people worldwide face acute food insecurity or worse (stages 3-5), with 29.25 million suffering severe chronic food insecurity (stage 4) and 1.37 million experiencing catastrophic famine. In African countries like Mali and Nigeria, armed conflicts and acute food insecurity affect millions of children under six years old. In Sudan, 15.3 million face chronic food insecurity.
These classifications and figures only hint at humanitarian crises triggered by armed violence—that violence which obliterates homes, shatters communities, maims lives, and consumes the present and future of millions.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the current situation in Gaza? The UN has declared a catastrophic famine stage 5 in Gaza, with 500,000 people facing extreme food insecurity, 1.7 million in emergency situations, and 396,000 suffering chronic food insecurity. The IPC predicts that even less affected populations will face famine soon.
- Who is responsible for this crisis? Israel, according to the UN, bears responsibility for this catastrophe and must allow immediate and large-scale humanitarian aid to prevent further suffering.
- What is happening in African countries? Armed conflicts in countries like Mali, Nigeria, and Sudan have resulted in widespread food insecurity, affecting millions of people, including children under six years old.
- Is using hunger as a weapon of war a crime? Yes, it is a war crime, though Western governments have not imposed sanctions on Israel despite the situation.
