21 October 2024
Our spot report, ‘Food Insecurity in Armed Conflict and the Use of Siege-like Tactics’ addresses the urgent issue of food insecurity caused by siege tactics in conflict zones and explores how international humanitarian law can mitigate these impacts.
Armed conflicts are a major driver of food insecurity, with a significant portion of acutely food-insecure individuals residing in areas affected by violence. The report reveals how certain tactics, such as restricting access to essential resources, deepen civilian suffering and can even lead to famine or starvation.
The report’s key findings include:
Paola Gaeta, Director of the Geneva Academy and Professor of International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute, emphasizes the urgency of the findings: ‘While siege-like tactics are not outright prohibited, Parties to conflict must respect IHL obligations. However, recent cases illustrate the severe consequences on civilians when these tactics are employed. This report highlights the importance of respecting IHL to protect civilians and secure access to essential resources.’
This publication is part of the ‘IHL in Focus’ project, which aims provide states, international organizations, civil society and academics with tools of IHL analysis that are independent, impartial and pursued in accordance with the highest academic standards to support advocacy and humanitarian diplomacy, with the ultimate goal of contributing towards increased respect for IHL.
Geneva Academy
The Geneva Academy’s Board has been recomposed with Professor Christian Bovet as the new president, who was recently welcomed at Villa Moynier by the executive committee.
Applications for the upcoming academic year of our Online Executive Master - MAS in International Law in Armed Conflict - are now open. They will remain open until 30 May 2025, with courses starting at the end of September 2025.
ICRC
Co-hosted with the ICRC, this event aims to enhance the capacity of academics to teach and research international humanitarian law, while also equipping policymakers with an in-depth understanding of ongoing legal debates.
Adobe
This event, co-organized with the ATLAS network, seeks to critically examine how international crimes are investigated, documented, and prosecuted through a gender-competent lens.
ICRC
This online short course provides an overview of the content and evolution of the rules governing the use of unilateral force in international law, including military intervention on humanitarian grounds and the fight against international terrorism. It focuses on the practice of states and international organizations.
ICRC
As a yearly publication, it keeps decision-makers, practitioners and scholars up-to-date with the latest trends and challenges in IHL implementation in over 100 armed conflicts worldwide – both international and non-international.
UNAMID
This project will develop guidance to inform security, human rights and environmental debates on the linkages between environmental rights and conflict, and how their better management can serve as a tool in conflict prevention, resilience and early warning.