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Armed Conflict: Food Insecurity

Asked by Andrew GwynneIndependentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 22 October 2025UIN 82280

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of levels of prevalence of starvation being used as a tool of war in (a) international and (b) non-international conflicts.

Answered by Chris Elmore

The Government's position on these issues was set out most recently by Lord Collins of Highbury in response to a House of Lords debate on the use of starvation as a weapon of war held on 16 October 2025. [https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-10-16/debates/7404DF67-1A74-4DCD-8421-84BB55189F25/StarvationAsAWeaponOfWar].

In his response, Lord Collins referred to the publication in May of the Government's legal handbook on conflict, hunger and international law, further details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/conflict-hunger-and-international-humanitarian-law-handbook-launch-lord-collins-speech.

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