Famine declarations in conflict situations: A critical examination of the process of famine declaration in situations of conflict induced famine and starvation

Sammanfattning: This study focuses on providing a critical examination of the current process of famine declaration in situations of conflict induced famine, with special consideration of political influences towards the process. The research methodology consists of two case studies, one from the Tigray-war, Ethiopia (2020-2022), and one from South Sudan from the start of the civil war in 2013 up until today. These two will serve as contrasting cases aiming to reveal inconsistencies within the process of famine declaration, as a famine was declared in one case, but not the other. This despite many similarities between the cases. The material for the study was based mainly on domestic- and international news sites, documents and reports from UN and IPC, and academic articles relevant to the research-questions. The data was analyzed through a thematic analysis, with three themes: one regarding hinders to data collection, one regarding media portrayals and media’s role in famine situations, and one on what and who actually decides whether or not a famine is declared. Theories used relate to and are categorized into the three themes. The study concludes by contrasting the two cases, and finds several similarities and differences, and certain inconsistencies regarding when a famine is declared or not. The study ends with laying out two ideas upon which a new process of famine declaration could be built.