Digital feast and famine: Digital technologies and humanitarian law in food security,...

Authors: Susanne Jaspars, Catriona Murdoch and Nisar Majid

This paper explores the role of digital technologies in the violation and application of humanitarian law, and its consequences for famine risk and prevention. The link between famine, digital technologies and humanitarian law and key issues are addressed.

The authors describe how warring parties may manipulate or undermine mobile phone and internet networks, the impact on food security and famine, and how this can be considered in international law. Digital technologies can help to assess and analyse famine and starvation crimes, and have been used in food assistance responses.

Key issues are highlighted for consideration in the use of digital technologies in situations of conflict and humanitarian assistance for famine prevention, both legal and operational.

This paper was published by World Peace Foundation and PeaceRep: The Peace and Conflict Resolution Evidence Platform.