Following Israel’s declaration on 8 October 2023 of a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, a food crisis rapidly developed. But did the situation deteriorate into a full-blown famine? A series of food security assessments conducted by the international community in 2023-24 will be analysed to answer this question.
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Historically, food crises and famines were regarded as natural disasters, beyond human control. During the 20th century, this perception became inadequate to explain famines that, even if they were triggered by agricultural droughts or floods, were exacerbated by human actions that either deliberately created famine conditions or failed to intervene to prevent mass starvation.
Siege famines are the most extreme example of hunger being used as a weapon of war. By cutting off access to all sources of food – production, markets, and humanitarian aid – besieged populations are literally starved to death. Case studies of several 20th century siege famines will be reviewed. Then the case of Gaza in 2023/24 will be examined to answer the question: Was there a famine in Gaza in 2024? Analysis of assessments conducted by the IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), FEWS NET (Famine Early Warning Systems Network) and the Famine Review Committee of the United Nations, will confirm whether the IPC thresholds for declaring a famine were reached in Gaza in 2024.
Speaker
Stephen Devereux, IDS Research Fellow. Stephen is a development economist working predominantly on food security, famine, rural livelihoods, social protection and poverty reduction issues. His research experience has mainly been in eastern and southern Africa, especially Ethiopia, Malawi and Namibia.
Chair
Philip Proudfoot, IDS Research Fellow.
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