GRC Partner Catriona Murdoch will be testifying before the United States Congress Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on  armed conflict, its role as a driver of hunger, famine and starvation, and international humanitarian law. Catriona will be speaking as one of the expert witnesses on the nexus between armed conflict and starvation and the situation in Ukraine, Tigray, and Yemen and offer recommendations for Congress.

According to the World Food Program, almost 60 percent of the world’s 811 million hungry people live in areas affected by armed violence. Conflict is a main driver in 8 out of 10 of the worst hunger crises in the world, among them Yemen, South Sudan, and Ethiopia. UN Security Council Resolution 2417, adopted in May 2018, drew attention to the link between armed conflict, food insecurity and famine, and reiterated the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) prohibition on the use of hunger as a weapon of war as well as the prohibition of attacks on objects indispensable to survival (OIS). The intentional starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is categorized as a war crime in the Rome Statute – which is binding on states that have ratified it – for both international armed conflict and, since approval of a 2019 amendment to the statute, non-international armed conflicts. The Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine is the latest example of the potential use of starvation as a method of warfare, where siege tactics, the willful impediment of humanitarian access, and attacks on OIS are prevalent, alongside the critical impact on global food production and food systems. The escalating need for assistance threatens to outstrip the capacity and resources of humanitarian organisations, reinforcing the importance of prevention strategies.

This hearing will be virtual. Pursuant to H. Res. 965, Members of Congress and witnesses will participate remotely via Cisco WebEx. Members of the public and the media may view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website. The hearing will also be available for viewing on Channel 52 of the House Digital Channel service.

For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi (for Co-Chair Smith).

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Christopher H. Smith
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Opening remarks

• Rep. James P. McGovern, Co-Chair, TLHRC
  Written remarks
• Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Co-Chair, TLHRC
  Written remarks

Witnesses

Panel I

• Jocelyn Brown Hall, Director, Liaison Office for North America, Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO 

Panel II

• Tom Dannenbaum, Assistant Professor of International Law, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
• Catriona Murdoch, Partner, Global Rights Compliance, The Hague, and Barrister, 1 Crown Office Row, United Kingdom