Starvation as Strategy in the Syrian Armed Conflict: Siege, Deprivation, and Detention

Abstract

This chapter addresses the use of starvation as a weapon of war during the war in Syria including the possible goals and methods of the perpetrators, the outcomes for the victims, as well as the question of accountability. To provide a scope of the use of starvation during the war, as a tactic deployed by a variety of actors and across different geographies, this chapter includes four case studies: eastern Ghouta (in the Damascus suburbs), Aleppo, Deir Alzor, and starvation in detention. It draws on the authors’ interviews, previous research, and professional experience as humanitarian relief workers during the armed conflict in Syria, and an extensive review of media, human rights, and humanitarian reporting on conditions in the country throughout the civil war.