In recent history, military typically fought military. No longer. Now, unarmed civilians in housing projects, in schools, in hospitals and even in food markets are becoming targets. Perhaps killing from a distance, with drones, is less traumatic for soldiers than the more personal face-to-face version.
Either way, now that a nation can simply buy drone weaponry, it seems that traditional boundaries are vanishing. Living in fear is a long way from living a fulfilling life. I’ve defined “Sustainable Living” as (1) living in harmony with Earth, and (2) enjoying as fulfilling a quality-of-life experience as possible.
Ukraine has been the breadbasket for much of Africa, just as Kansas, Nebraska and California’s Imperial Valley are for the U.S. Russia’s war against Ukraine has led to what’s politely called “food insecurity” for millions. The U.S. attack on Iran, which closed much shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has led to fertilizer shortages for farmers virtually everywhere.
Looking at game theory, in a situation in which if I win, you lose – a “zero sum” situation, competition is essential for survival. However, if we can both win – a non-zero-sum situation – but if compete, rather than collaborate, the outcome is invariably lose-lose. The quality-of-life in the Ukraine and in Russia is far worse than it was. With food and fuel prices escalating, the quality-of-life in the U.S. and in Iran is also worse than it was.
Feeding 8.3 billion people is hard enough. How might mankind learn to live more sustainably and joyfully, instead of fearfully. Comments afterwards.
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Hunger increasingly used as weapon of war as
‘food-related violence’ surges, analysis shows
More than 20,000 attacks on markets, farmland and
food distribution systems have been recorded since 2018
The Guardian
24 May 2026
Hunger is being increasingly exploited as a weapon of war with more than 20,000 documented incidents of “food-related violence” in the past eight years, new analysis reveals.
Attacks include 1,261 strikes on markets used by families for daily groceries and 863 incidents in which food distribution systems were targeted and workers killed.
The analysis looked at the period since UN resolution 2417 unanimously condemned the deliberate starvation of civilians in 2018. It found starvation is being increasingly weaponised with the supply of food routinely targeted in Gaza, Sudan, Lebanon and Haiti among others.
Data compiled by Insecurity Insight uncovered 21,403 incidents in 15 countries where food supplies have been deliberately targeted since 2018, when the UN security council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the unlawful denial of humanitarian aid as a tactic of warfare.
Researchers discovered 1,909 military strikes on farmland, and another 563 on water infrastructure vital for crops, which affected food security in more than 42 countries and territories.
States with the highest recorded incidents are the occupied Palestinian Territory with 9,013 attacks, followed by Yemen – 1,863 incidents – and Sudan, where food was targeted in 1,605 strikes. One of the most recent attacks in Sudan occurred on Tuesday when a drone killed 28 people.
Witnesses said the main market in the town of Ghubaysh, West Kordofan, appeared to have been deliberately targeted by the military while it was crowded with civilians.
Other countries that documented repeated attacks on food supplies include Syria, which saw 1,538 incidents, many attributed to government or Russian military forces before the fall of the Assad regime; and Mali, where 1,415 attacks were recorded as the ruling junta struggled to maintain its grip on power in the west African country.
The research, to be released on Monday to coincide with the anniversary of the UN resolution, describes a “marked increase” in attacks on markets, farmland and food distribution systems.
Giulia Contò, conflict and hunger advocacy manager at Action Against Hunger, said:
“Famine in Gaza and Sudan has captured glo-
bal headlines over the past two years, but most
conflict-induced hunger never does. It unfolds
daily, with relentless attacks on the systems
communities depend on to survive: livestock
looted, markets bombed, aid convoys blocked.”
Researchers also found that civilians were frequently targeted as they attempted to obtain food. Between October 2023 and the end of 2025, more than 10,300 people were killed or injured trying to access aid.
Christina Wille, director at Insecurity Insight, urged the international community to implement the UN resolution, saying that it had a responsibility “to act upon violations”. She said:
“It is not that resolution 2417 has failed, but
that member states have failed to implement
it, and to demonstrate the political will to
prevent those very same actions that the
international community claims to oppose.”
Wille said that women were disproportionately affected by the weaponisation of hunger.
“Women in particular are faced with some of the
toughest choices: unreliable access to food might
mean travelling longer distances, increasing
risks to their safety in volatile contexts.
“Women who were primarily carers are forced to
become breadwinners, often while reducing their
food intake to prioritise their family members.
Without enough food, children are unable to
play, learn or grow, and the consequences
on their development will last a lifetime.”
Conflict remains the primary driver of hunger, accounting for more than half of all people facing severe hunger.
Last month, UN agencies warned that a growing share of global hunger is becoming entrenched in a small group of conflict-hit countries, with two-thirds of people facing acute food insecurity concentrated in just 10 nations.
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Looking at the physical side of sustainability, we all need water, to satisfy a huge range of needs. However, nature gives us rainwater when it wishes, but we want water whenever we wish. So … when water is forthcoming, we have to store some of it, so it’s there when we need it. In our Garden atrium net zero community, I Googled the average amount of water used by an average family. Then I Googled when and how much rainwater we get. From that readily available information, I determined how much water we’d have to store between rainy days. You can, too; it’s easy math.
Each Garden Atrium home has a cistern, in the ground. The downspout ensures water will always be available. In 25 years, we’ve always had chemical-free water. The cistern cost, added to the cost of the home, was negligible. We pay nothing to a water utility, and always have the water we need.
Applying the same concept to food. Whenever a specific food product is on sale, buy a huge quantity. Suppliers such as Costco, or a CSA, can provide extremely large packages of foods when they’re plentiful – such as when tomatoes are ripe or when they can buy the product for less for whatever reason. Products such as tomatoes would need to be frozen for storage. We once bought five gallon hermetically-sealed buckets of different grains; in a hundred years we’ll still be able to use them (if we’re still around to do so!)
Bottom line: For whatever food you wish, buy big when it’s cheapest and store the surplus. When politicians promise to stop inflation, but don’t … you’ll still be enjoying food at before-inflation prices. That’s food security!
Adding additional comments from D:
“The only person that any of us can control is ourselves. We can control what we spend and when we spend it. Stock up when you can on food or other resources. Take life simply and use what you need, but not more. Mother Earth provide much. Sunlight gives you electricity through solar panels. Insulation will keep you warm or cool, in each season. Electric cars will get filled with fuel from your solar panels, and battery-stored for your driving needs. If you are so inclined, have a vegetable garden or learn to can vegetables you purchase.”
“In all this, know that your hands and your body can make much happen; finally, allow any extra to be shared in community.”
