Call for input - Human Rights and Starvation, with an emphasis on the Palestinian People’s Food Sovereignty
Issued by
Special Rapporteur on the right to food
Issued by
Special Rapporteur on the right to food
Issued by Special Procedures
Symbol Number
A/79/171
Summary
The present report establishes the relationship between the right to food and starvation prevention in a way that contributes both towards the common goal of ensuring that everyone has the power to determine what is adequate food for their community and to access that food. In the present report the Palestinian people’s food sovereignty is emphasized since the Palestinian liberation struggle exemplifies how starvation is a human rights issue.
Over the past 7 months in Gaza, Israel has been starving 2.3 million Palestinian people at a speed never witnessed in modern history. Never have this many civilians been made to go hungry so quickly and completely with the first reported deaths of children by starvation dating back to January 2024. Today, all of Gaza is in famine, a situation which will have irreversible consequences especially for children. But even if the conflict were to end today, food systems in Gaza are in shatters. At least one third of Gaza’s agricultural lands, the fishing fleet and irrigation systems are destroyed. In Gaza, starvation is being used as a weapon of war, which has unleashed violence at a genocidal scale.
Even though the international community has taken notice of the risk of starvation and genocide since late October, the response has not adequately prevented the unfolding of starvation and genocide. While famines often arise in the context of armed conflict or political collapse, certain political, economic and social conditions make some areas more prone to famine than others.
In war, food and food systems are frequently targeted with the intent to starve civilians.
Building on his previous work on the right to food in armed conflict, the questions the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food will explore in his forthcoming report are:
What does starvation in Gaza tell us about of international law and international institutions?
What norms beyond the fields of international humanitarian law and international criminal law are relevant?
What does human rights law have to say about starvation? What is the relationship between human rights and starvation? What can be done to prevent starvation in the future?
General
Palestine and the Palestinian People
Inputs will be published on the Special Rapporteur’s webpage. If you do not wish your input to be published, please specify it in the submission.
Al Haq; UAWC - Union of Agricultural Work Committees; PCHR - Palestinian Centre for Human Rights; Al Mezan Center for Human Rights: input-1 | input-2 | input-3
APN - The Arab Group for the Protection of Nature
BADIL - Resource Center for Palestenian Residency and refugee Rights
Defense for Children International
Food Security Information Network: input | annex
Global Rights Compliance: input | annex-1 | annex-2
International Human Rights Advocacy Group
Maat for Peace, Development and Human Rights
PCFS - People's Coalition for Food Sovereignty: input | annex
SHS - The Stars of Hope Society; Al Marsad - The Social and Economic Monitor
British Institute of International and Comparative Law
Garret Graddy-Lovelace; Laila ElHaddad
Mujahid ul Islam; et al: input | annex