Food Access and Conflict: Responsibility and Future Prosecution Guidelines for the Continued Humanitarian Violations of the Yemeni People

Abstract

Food used as a weapon of war literature focuses on how the state uses this form of “weapon” in order to weaken the opposition, for instance using siege warfare. Although sieges are costly and time-consuming, they may under certain circumstances be easier than engaging the enemy directly in open battle or going house to house to rout out the adversary. Subsequently, during war, international aid response may be hindered due to issues related to and /or the lack of humanitarian pauses. The World Food Program reported that while Yemen is not yet in a full-blown famine, yet 17 million Yemenis are in “emergency” food situations due to the civil war. This study proposes that the Saudi led Gulf Cooperation Council (which includes: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, and United Arab Emirates) and the Houthi rebels, through blockades, sieges, and airstrikes, are contributing to the starvation and acute malnutrition of the civilians in Yemen. Both sides are not pursuing a meaningful resolution to end this civil war or to at least allow humanitarian pauses, and their lack of care in conducting these military actions falls under war crimes. All parties involved are ignoring the evidence, continuing fighting, and prolonging the suffering of the Yemeni people. This study finds the Saudi-led coalition, the Yemeni government, and the Houthis are committing war crimes against the Yemeni population, by indiscriminate attacks, and starvation. There is evidence of increased child undernourishment and malnutrition, increased food insecurity, increased need for humanitarian food assistance, increased indiscriminate attacks on markets, ports, and other transportations hubs, and increased food prices, all of which will be explored in this paper.