Several areas around the world are suffering from two main crises: war and poverty. The situation is getting worse day after day. Starvation is the most important result of these two crises. Starvation is considered as a violation of man’s right in life which is the origin of an individual’s freedom[1]. It is threatening nearly twenty million people around the world [2] hundreds of people daily die or become sick owing to the shortage of food. In 2016 alone, the number of people suffering from starvation was almost 816 million people, that is 11% of the world population. The number increased to nearly more 35 million people in 2017 because of wars, internal conflicts and global warming [3].
The starvation which resulted in the deaths of many children, women and men seemed to be used as a weapon in wars in the areas of crises for several reasons. Through starvation civilians are terrified and their will is destroyed. They are forced to join extremist groups or submit to despotic regimes. For example, the Syrian regime besieged cities and counties under the authority of opposition and banned food for months to force civilians to surrender. This siege could have gone on for more years. As a war instrument starvation is cheaper than ordinary weapons. They cause the downfall of many areas that used to be under the authority of the Syrian opposition. The most bitter example can be seen in eastern Ghouta where 400,000 civilians were fighting against the shortage of food and 150,000 people died in addition to 527 children since 2014 [4]. The same thing took place in the Yemen city of Ta’ez where civilians, mainly children, lose their lives due to the siege of Houthis [5]. Seventy percent of the Yemeni population needs urgent aid. There are almost seven million people who are about to lose their lives owing to starvation. As regards the northeast of Nigeria that never suffered from food problems throughout its history, 5.1 million people today are facing the problem of food shortage as a consequence of interior conflicts [6].
Thus, it is not wrong to say that starvation and conflicts sustain each other, that is to say, wars and interior conflicts lead to economic and social problems and then the occurrence of starvation. That also leads to deepening existing problems and crises. Thus the circle goes on by reproducing new interior wars and conflicts.
People who face the danger of starvation resulting from existing wars and conflicts have to immigrate to other places or cooperate with the side that provides them with food. It doesn’t matter whether they are individuals, institutions or groups. This is actually what is going on in Syria. A large section of those who control food in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Southern Sudan are just groups of outlaws. Several non-governmental civil organizations that wish to provide aid for people facing danger cannot secure the arrival of food aid to these areas without permission from extremist groups that may allow this only after dictating their conditions. This reflects how dangerous the situation is [7].
On the other hand, armed groups and dictators use starvation within the framework of interior conflict and psychological war. That is considered the most effective method of recruiting new terrorists. Those who cannot get bread or any food for days, weeks or even months and those who find it difficult to sustain their families and children but they find no way out of those areas will soon become extremists and join fundamentalist groups that promise them, their children and their families food the next day.
Although we cannot say that lack of food is the only direct reason for the outbreak of interior conflicts, the desire of inhabitants in war areas to protect themselves and secure necessary food expands the circle of violence among groups[8]. The distressful cause of starvation constitutes a crisis within the world-course existing presently. Now it has become necessary to stop the vicious circle which leads to starvation. The countries that adopt political humane and legal duties have got to abandon the short-term one policy. They have got to cooperate to solve this problem. That will not be possible unless all actors in the world order agree upon common ethics and humane principles. Despite this and under the world policy based on pragmatism and seeking its interests, reaching an agreement of common ethics and human principles on the side of actors is a farfetched probability. That indicates that the present worrying course will get worse in the long run.
The organizations of the civil community act as an actor that plays an ultimate role in solving the problem of starvation which deepens world crises. Hence humane aid agencies have got to better know the people in areas suffering from the problem of starvation and to work on the development of aid policies and carry them out to meet the needs of the area. On the other hand, there must be a concentration on the basic causes of the problems and efforts have to be exerted to prevent the occurrence of similar problems in the future.
To solve the recurrent problem of starvation in the world order within the last ten years, satisfying the urgent needs of peoples has not been enough. The way should be opened for the peoples of the area to use their potentialities, that is to say, communities must achieve self-sufficiency and stop depending on abroad[11]. This can only be realized through different economic investments that will be provided for the areas of crisis countries in addition to the activities of civil community organizations.
In brief, despite the efforts of civil community organizations that will soon manage to satisfy the urgent needs of starvation areas, they will not be able to secure by themselves the achievement of self-sufficiency and community development in the long run.
The survey is issued by the Center of Humane and Social Researches INSAMER, and it is published on its electronic website on December 24th, 2017 under the title “Bir Savas Silahi Olarak Aclic”:, on the link: https://bit.ly/2zKNXMQ
[1] Dr.Ahmet Emin Dag, “Bir Insan Ihlali Olarak Aclik”, INSAMER, 2014, https:///bit.ly/2DizT2u.
[2] Max Bearak, Laris Karklis, “Starving to Death”. The Washington Post, 2017, https://wapo.st/2BvnU0.
[3]” The State of Food Security and Nutrition in The World, Building Resilience for Peace and Food Security”, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2017, s.v.
[4] “Dagu Guta’da Savasin En Aci Sahnesi Yasaniyor”,AA.https:/bit.ly/2z6Bbul.
[5] “Yemenlicocuklar Taiz’deki ‘ablukaveacligin’ pencesinde”, AA.https:/bit.ly/2B5xSoN.
[6] Levi Maxey, “Starvation Serves as a Weapon for Dictators and Terrorists”,2017, The Cipher Brief,https://bit.ly/2zbaF3e.
[7] Tim Lister, Barbara Star, “Aid agencies deal with terrorists to reach Somalia’s starving”,2011, CNN,https://cnn.it/2DDzdWD.
[8] Levi Maxey, “Starvation Serves as a Weapon for Dictators and Terrorists”, Op.cit.
[9] Ahmet Davutoglu, “The Future of National and Global (Dis)order: exclusive Populism versus Inclusive Global Governance”, 2017, 21st Century Global Dynamics, https://bit.ly/2PUvj1g.
[10] Pragmatism is a doctrine that considers the criterion of concepts’ and opinions’ credibility lying in their practical consequences. According to it, Knowledge is an instrument of serving life requirements. The truth of a cause depends on how useful it is. Generally speaking, a pragmatist is a word that modifies all that aims at success or private interest” the philosophical Dictionary, Academy of the Arabic Language, page 32. [The translator]
[11] Zulfiye Zeynep Bakir, “Daha Etkili Bir Insani Yardim Sistemilcin”, 2017, INSAMER, https:///bit.ly/2zeNlzL.
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