Starvation as a Tool of War: A Threat to Palestinians and Indigenous Communities

Strategic Insights -

In the Gaza Strip, a staggering 500,000 Palestinians face unprecedented levels of food and essential item scarcity, with all 320,000 children under 5 at risk of malnutrition, according to the U.N. Israel's actions have been accused of using starvation as a "savage weapon of war" and a crime under international law. The use of starvation as a tool of war is not limited to Israel, as countries like the United States and Canada have a history of employing it against Indigenous communities. From the forced starvation of the Native American tribes along the Ohio River valley in 1791 to the U.S. military's removal of the Navajo from their homeland, Indigenous communities have suffered at the hands of settler colonizers. The consequences of these actions are still felt today, with many Indigenous families carrying stories of surviving forced starvation.

Key Takeaways:

  • More than 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza are facing unprecedented levels of food and essential item scarcity, with all 320,000 children under 5 at risk of malnutrition.
  • Israel's actions have been accused of using starvation as a "savage weapon of war" and a crime under international law.
  • Countries like the United States and Canada have a history of using starvation as a tool of war against Indigenous communities.
  • The forced starvation of the Native American tribes along the Ohio River valley in 1791 was a turning point in the history of Indigenous persecution.
  • The U.S. military's removal of the Navajo from their homeland involved the destruction of crops, water supply, and livestock, leaving over 10,000 Navajo without access to food or resources.
  • Historian Winona LaDuke revealed that Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald did little to stop a multi-year famine on the Canadian Plains in the 1870s, leading to the deaths of an estimated 26,500 people.
  • Malcolm C. Cameron, a House of Commons member at the time, accused the Canadian government of using "starvation as a weapon of war" against Indigenous peoples.
  • Many Indigenous families have stories of surviving forced starvation by the government, including the author's family, who experienced the "starvation winter" on the Blackfeet reservation in 1883-1884.
  • Thousands of children in Gaza are currently malnourished and at risk, with experts warning that the current aid measures are insufficient to meet the needs of the population.

Statistics:

  • 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza are facing unprecedented levels of food and essential item scarcity.
  • All 320,000 children under 5 in Gaza are at risk of malnutrition.
  • The U.S. military forced over 10,000 Navajo to leave their homeland during the removal of the Navajo in the 1860s.
  • An estimated 60 million bison existed before U.S. and Canadian settlement, but by the 1890s, there were only 100.
  • Between 1878 to 1880, Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald did little to stop a multi-year famine on the Canadian Plains, leading to the deaths of an estimated 26,500 people.

Sources:

  • The Conversation Media Group Ltd (2010-2022)
  • Integrated Food Security Phase Classification
  • U.N. statement on the situation in Gaza
  • Oxfam official Bushra Khalidi's statement on the aid situation in Gaza
  • Ramesh Rajasingham, director of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
  • Historian Winona LaDuke's book "Indigenous Prosperity and American Conquest"
  • Historian John F. Kennedy's book "Weathering the Storm"
  • Malcolm C. Cameron's statement in the House of Commons.