Online published on 23 January, 2019.
In 2015, there was optimism about the eradication of hunger as most countries had met the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of hungry persons. However, within three years, the number of undernourished people has increased and the world is witnessing a re-emergence of this issue. This article critically reviews the literature on famines and concludes that regarding famines as war crimes is justified in countries where there has been a systematic effort to deny food to the civilian population. Two main reasons behind the increase in global hunger are conflicts and climate induced droughts in vulnerable regions. Therefore, the Zero Hunger Goal cannot be met without the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 13 (Climate Action) and 16 (Peace and Justice).
