Hunger caused by conflicts around the world has reached record high levels, a new report by Oxfam has found, which accuses warring parties of weaponising food and blocking aid.
Between 7,000 to as many as 21,000 people are likely dying each day from hunger in countries affected by conflict, according to the report, published by the United Kingdom-based charity on World Food Day on Wednesday.
Titled Food Wars, it examined 54 countries experiencing conflict, revealing that they account for nearly all of the 281.6 million people facing acute hunger today. Conflict has also been a major driver of forced displacement in these countries, which has now reached a record 117 million people.
Oxfam emphasised that conflict not only fuels hunger, but that warring parties are actively using food as a weapon by targeting food, water and energy infrastructure, as well as blocking food aid.
Palestinians receive food donated by a charity, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip [File: Haitham Imdad/EPA-EFE]
In September, three humanitarian agencies warned of “a starvation crisis of historic proportions” amid Sudan’s civil war, while the proportion of households affected by high levels of acute food insecurity in Gaza has been the largest ever recorded globally since the end of last year.
“As conflict rages around the world, starvation has become a lethal weapon wielded by warring parties against international laws,” said Oxfam’s Emily Farr, who works in the area of food and economic security.
“Today’s food crises are largely manufactured. Nearly half a million people in Gaza – where 83 percent of needed food aid is currently not reaching them – and over three-quarters of a million in Sudan are starving as the devastating effects of wars on food are likely to persist for generations.”
The analysis revealed that the crises of war, displacement and hunger occur in countries heavily reliant on primary product exports. For instance, 95 percent of Sudan’s export earnings come from gold and livestock. Mining operations have led to violent conflicts, forcing people from their homes as the degraded and polluted environments become unliveable.
According to Oxfam, this underscores the failures of peace-building efforts that rely on an economic liberalisation model focused on attracting foreign investment and promoting export-driven economies, which often exacerbates inequality instead.
“Large-scale private investment – both foreign and domestic – has often exacerbated political and economic instability, as investors seize control over land and water, displacing local populations,” Farr said.
Conflict frequently intensifies other crises like climate shocks, economic instability and inequality. Climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods, combined with rising global food prices due to pandemic shutdowns and disruptions from the Russia-Ukraine war, have escalated hunger crises in East and Southern Africa, it said.
Oxfam warned that the global commitment to “zero hunger” by 2030 is becoming increasingly unattainable. It called on the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, to hold accountable those responsible for “starvation crimes” under international law.
Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir – When Wasif Ahmad, a 34-year-old shopkeeper from Srinagar, saw a billboard announcing the arrival of international cricket stars in his hometown, he promptly bought tickets and decided to shut his business on the day of the match.
Ahmad, like thousands of cricket-mad Kashmiris, cared little for the lack of glitz and glamour in the Legends League Cricket (LLC) – a franchise-based T20 cricket league involving former international cricketers – he simply couldn’t miss an opportunity to watch a live cricket match.
With the arrival of the LLC’s seven matches in Srinagar from October 9 to 16, cricket finally returned to Indian-administered Kashmir – one of the world’s most heavily militarised regions and synonymous with uprisings against the central Indian government’s control.
Ahmad, an avid cricket fan, grew up playing the game and listening to his father’s tales about the two international cricket matches that Kashmir hosted in the 1980s – but had never been to one.
“Seeing international cricketers play live [in Kashmir] felt like a distant dream to me,” Ahmad told Al Jazeera while watching the Gujarat Greats take on the Konark Suryas Odisha at Bakshi Stadium, the region’s oldest sports venue in the heart of Srinagar.
Cricket fans of all age groups formed long snaking queues outside the stadium under the stern glare of security personnel. Families with young children and groups of women flocked to watch their first live cricket match.
Inside the stadium, a vibrant crowd packed the stands ahead of the 7pm (13:30 GMT) game that stretched late into the night – a rarity in a city where nightlife has been non-existent amid decades of turmoil.
Floodlights illuminated the ground and cast a glow over the nearby streets as loud music from the stadium’s public address system, coupled with the roaring chants of the crowd, filtered out of the 30,000-capacity venue.
The presence of hundreds of armed security personnel in camouflaged uniforms and dozens of patrolling vehicles provided a stark reminder of everyday life in Kashmir – where peace and hostility often co-exist.
Despite the challenges, the weeklong cricket extravaganza seemed to have brought a temporary escape from the region’s complex and often violent history.
The Legends League Cricket tournament, which brought international cricketers back to Indian-administered Kashmir after 39 years, saw thousands of fans attend the matches at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]
Cricket’s fractured history in Kashmir
Kashmir hosted its first international cricket match in October 1983, when some of cricket’s biggest names arrived in the valley as newly crowned world champions India hosted the then mighty West Indies in a one-day international (ODI) match at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar.
The game was rocked by protests and ugly scenes as the spectators cheered for the West Indians in a mark of dissent.
Some protesters entered the ground during the innings break and damaged parts of the pitch but the match was completed as the visitors won by 28 runs.
In 1986, India hosted Australia in an ODI. The visitors also found unexpected support in the Kashmiri capital and beat the hosts by three wickets.
Three years later, an anti-India armed rebellion erupted in the valley. The central government deployed nearly 700,000 troops to suppress the movement, making the region as one of the world’s most heavily militarised conflict zones.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region is split between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan, which rule over parts of the territory but claim it in its entirety and have fought three of their four wars over it.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the decades-old conflict, most of them civilians. Hundreds of security checkpoints are spread across the valley to monitor locals’ movements.
In August 2019, India scrapped a law that granted special status to the region, stripping Kashmir of the significant autonomy it had enjoyed for seven decades. The move was followed by an indefinite lockdown and a significant troop deployment to suppress protests.
International cricket’s decades-long absence from Kashmir, then, is as unremarkable as the presence of hundreds of gun-toting security personnel in the environs of Bakshi Stadium.
Students walk towards Bakshi Stadium under the gaze of security personnel in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]
‘A superficial attempt to showcase normalcy’
Bakshi Stadium, named after Jammu and Kashmir’s former prime minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, has been a politically significant venue since its inauguration in the 1950s.
In addition to hosting high-profile sports events, the stadium has also served as a venue for political rallies, but the armed rebellion that began in 1989 rendered the stadium non-functional and all sport events were suspended.
When India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kashmir in March, he addressed a large crowd at Bakshi Stadium and promised a slew of developmental projects in the region.
While the LLC’s seven matches have attracted thousands of entertainment-deprived cricket fans, many locals see the tournament’s presence in Kashmir through the prism of “enforced normalcy”.
Kashmiris believe that Modi’s government has employed sport as a tool to project a peaceful image of the region, despite its fractious reality.
Indian-administered Kashmir’s Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah, whose National Conference emerged as the single largest winning party in the recent elections, was also present at Bakshi Stadium and insisted he would encourage the upliftment of sport.
For the thousands of cricket fans queueing at the stadium’s ticket booth, such as Seeban Farooq, the tournament’s popularity was a testament to the region’s “craze” for cricket but would do little to promote local cricketers.
“These events have little to do with the upliftment of local talent,” he said.
A young cricketer, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the LLC could “fuel the dreams” of aspiring Kashmiri cricketers – only to be crushed by the harsh reality.
“Substandard infrastructure, lack of proper pitches and minimal facilities raise serious concerns about the future of cricket development in the region,” said the young player dressed in his all-white cricket attire.
“It’s a superficial attempt to showcase normalcy while suppressing the underlying issues faced by local athletes.”
Kashmiris, like millions of other South Asians, are obsessed with cricket. The sport is an integral part of the region’s popular culture and offers locals an escape from the longstanding political tension.
In Kashmir, though, politics and cricket remain inseparable and when India and Pakistan meet on the cricket pitch, life in the valley comes to a standstill.
An underlying tension, emanating from the Kashmiri fans’ support for the Pakistani team as a means of dissent against the central government, grips the region. It’s not uncommon for security officials to detain young men over pro-Pakistan sloganeering.
The LLC, too, had its share of India-Pakistan politics when security forces evicted two young fans for chanting the names of Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam.
Cricket fans queue outside a ticketing counter at Bakshi Stadium [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]
Does cricket have a future in Kashmir?
Sharda Ugra, a prominent Indian sports writer, believes Kashmiri cricketers have been victims of the political situation in the valley.
“There have been spurts of official cricket activity and the emergence of young players every now and then, but it has been a matter of chance, rather than the result of regional cricket officials’ efforts to be seen as a forward-thinking organisation,” Ugra told Al Jazeera.
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), cricket’s governing body in the region, has been beset with political infighting and allegations of financial impropriety.
Ugra, too, believes the hosting of the LLC is part of the “normalcy narrative”.
“It’s a lot of fun but I doubt if it will foster young talent or support or encourage young players. It’s event management, not a sustained sports policy.”
Cricket is spread across the picturesque valley but the players see little, if any, scope for the game’s development in the disputed region.
The countless lush green fields dotting Kashmir host amateur cricket matches and unofficial leagues organised by locals.
A Srinagar-based cricket coach, who did not want to disclose his name as he was employed by the local government, admitted the lack of cricket grounds forced many young cricketers to play mostly on substandard jute matting pitches.
“The Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium remains out of bounds for local cricketers, basic facilities are non-existent and coaching camps are unheard of,” he explained.
“All of these factors contribute to the lack of development of local talent and leave a gap in Kashmir’s cricketing landscape.”
Back at Bakshi Stadium, thousands of Kashmiris descended on the capital from far and wide to catch a glimpse of live cricket action despite the multilayered security presence and tense atmosphere in the valley.
Shahid Ahmad travelled 48 kilometres (30 miles) from his home in Bijbehara village, in the southern district of Anantnag, to watch Chris Gayle.
The swashbuckling West Indian opener lived up to his billing, hitting three sixes and two fours for the Gujarat Giants. While his team failed to make the final, Gayle, a charismatic cricketer who is always a crowd favourite wherever he plays, promised to return to Kashmir.
When the LLC wraps up its Kashmir leg with the final on Wednesday, Kashmiri cricket fans and players will be left wondering if they will have to wait another 39 years to step inside their “home ground”.
Zaid Ahad, a young fan watching the match at the packed Bakshi Stadium on Saturday, did not radiate optimism.
“It’s inspiring to watch big players but local boys would never be allowed to play here – that’s just the way things are here.”
Young boys and girls playing cricket in a village in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Bandipora district [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]
Israel has resumed air strikes on Beirut despite objections from the United States over the way it is conducting its campaign in Lebanon.
Israeli military jets targeted the capital early on Wednesday for the first time since October 10. Three strikes were reported to have hit the southern suburbs of the city.
The attack came despite Washington having expressed concern over the scope of Israeli attacks on Beirut.
At the same time, the US continues to support Israel’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza, in which it says it aims to destroy Hezbollah and Hamas.
The Israeli military stated on social media that Wednesday’s strikes targeted “combat equipment that was stored inside an underground warehouse”.
A warning had been issued earlier that an attack on the Dahiyeh suburb was imminent, with residents warned to flee the vicinity of a building marked on a map.
According to Al Jazeera reporters in Beirut, three strikes were heard at about 6:50am in the Dahiyeh area. The number of casualties remains unclear.
(Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Hasbaiyya to the south, suggested that the damage resulting from the strikes “doesn’t really suggest that it was an arms dump” that was hit.
Amnesty International and others have said that warnings from the Israeli military are often issued too late to allow people to escape and do not exonerate Israel from responsibility for civilian casualties.
‘Opposed’
The resumption of strikes on Beirut came shortly after a spokesperson for the US government expressed concern over the conduct of Israel’s military campaigns in Lebanon and Gaza, using stronger language than he had previously.
“When it comes to the scope and nature of the bombing campaign that we saw in Beirut over the past few weeks, it’s something that we made clear to the government of Israel we had concerns with and we were opposed to,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said late on Tuesday.
The US had previously expressed open criticism of Israeli air strikes that struck residential buildings in central Beirut on October 10, killing 22 people.
Al Jazeera’s Khan noted: “This has been a period of relative calm in the Lebanese capital … But after five days it’s now back to Beirut and a very serious attack against that southern suburb.”
The same day, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that US officials had provided assurances that Israel would reduce its attacks on the capital city, and that Washington was “serious about pressuring Israel to reach a ceasefire”.
It has also been reported that the US has threatened to withhold weapons deliveries unless more humanitarian aid reaches Gaza.
However, the US continues to send weapons worth billions of dollars to Israel, including a missile system and troops to operate it.
No ceasefire
At least 1,350 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel escalated its attacks last month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the possibility of a ceasefire, insisting that would leave Iran-backed Hezbollah too close to Israel’s northern border and that a buffer zone is vital.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader Naim Qassem said on Tuesday that a ceasefire is the only solution to the conflict, but also threatened to expand the scope of its missile strikes across Israel.
Early on Wednesday Israel’s military said about 50 projectiles were fired from Lebanon. No casualties have been reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli attacks continue across southern and eastern Lebanon.
Deir el-Balah, Gaza – For more than two weeks now, Israel has blocked nearly all food aid from entering northern Gaza, leaving some 400,000 Palestinians living there facing starvation, according to UN estimates.
Israeli attacks and forced evacuation orders have closed food distribution points, kitchens and bakeries. The only functioning bakery in north Gaza, supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), caught fire after Israel struck it with munitions.
Across the Gaza Strip, at least 2.15 million people, or 96 percent of the population, are facing high levels of food shortages, with one in five people facing starvation.
Skyrocketing food prices
Most people in Gaza lack the means to buy essential goods and depend on charity kitchens and aid distributions for food and cash coupons.
Most of them have lost their jobs as the economy collapsed due to Israel’s ongoing assault. Whatever cash savings and items they had for bartering have all but run out.
The graphic below summarises food prices in north and south Gaza as of September. These prices may fluctuate greatly based on availability and are far beyond people’s financial means.
Prices of essential items have skyrocketed. Flour, for example, costs $150 for a 25kg (approximately 55-pound) bag in the south and up to $1,000 per bag in the north.
Before the war, a dozen eggs cost $3.50. It now sells at $32 in the south and about $73 in the north.
Non-dairy powdered milk is now sold in the north for $1 a spoonful, or $124 a kilo (2.2 pounds).
Infant formula is largely unavailable in the north and costs $15 a tin in the south. An average tin is approximately 350gm (12 ounces)
Fresh produce, including cucumbers and tomatoes, are among the most expensive after Israel destroyed most of Gaza’s farms, wells and greenhouses.
We discuss whether recent legal troubles signal a new era for the regulation of social media platforms.
Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov was arrested and charged with crimes related to a lack of regulation on his platform.
Meanwhile, X’s CEO Elon Musk was also threatened with prosecution over the role of his platform in spreading disinformation during riots in the United Kingdom.
Add to that the legal troubles of META in recent years, and it raises the question, who bears responsibility for what happens on social media?
Kenya’s Senate has begun impeachment hearings against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, hours after a court ruled that proceedings against him are constitutional.
The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, last week voted to impeach Gachagua on 11 charges, which included corruption, undermining the government and stirring ethnic hatred.
Gachagua has denied all the charges.
The 59-year-old said the impeachment motion, backed by opposition lawmakers and allies of President William Ruto, was based on falsehoods that constituted a political lynching, according to court documents seen by the Reuters news agency.
Gachagua launched an appeal in the high court, but Judge Eric Ogola said on Wednesday that the process could go ahead, clearing the way for the Senate to begin hearings and vote on his dismissal.
“At this stage, the process is a lawful, constitutional process, and the Senate will conduct a trial where all the issues being raised before the court will be raised and determined at the moment,” the judge said in court.
As the Senate opened proceedings, Gachagua denied the 11 charges read out by senate clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye. “Not guilty,” Gachagua said in response to each one.
During Wednesday’s session, members of parliament seeking Gachagua’s removal are expected to present their case to the senators.
Gachagua is expected to defend himself on Thursday before the vote. A two-thirds majority would be needed to dismiss him.
If removed, Gachagua would become the first deputy president to exit office in this way since impeachment was introduced in Kenya’s revised 2010 constitution.
Gachagua, a powerful businessman from Kenya’s biggest tribe, the Kikuyu, weathered previous corruption scandals to become deputy leader as President Ruto’s running mate in a closely fought election in August 2022.
He helped Ruto secure vital votes from the populous central Kenya region, but the two have since fallen out and political alliances have shifted.
In recent weeks, Gachagua has complained of being sidelined by the president and had been accused of supporting youth-led antigovernment protests that broke out in June, and that have exposed divisions in the top echelons of power.
Ruto fired most of his cabinet and appointed members of the opposition to what he called a unity government after the protests against tax increases in which more than 50 people were killed.
![Students walk towards the venue of the LLC tournament in the main city of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir where the matches are being held under high-security watch and surveillance. [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sports-14-1728975596.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C527)
![People queue outside a ticketing counter in Bakshi Stadium in the main city of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir where Legends League Cricket matches are being held. [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sports-10-1728975507.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513)
![Young boys and girls playing cricket in a scenic village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district in Indian-administered Kashmir. [Shuaib Bashir/Al Jazeera]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/N1A3990-1728975454.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C488)
