Hunger Crisis in Gaza Reflects Longstanding Western Tactics of Starvation and Control

A recent opinion piece by Donald Earl Collins, a Professorial Lecturer at American University, published on Al Jazeera, highlights the dire hunger crisis in Gaza and frames it as part of a broader historical pattern of Western powers using starvation as a tool for domination. The article, titled “Gaza is no anomaly: Hunger and hoarding are the West’s oldest weapons,” argues that the deliberate withholding of food resources has been a hallmark of Western imperialism and capitalism for centuries.

In Gaza, nearly two million Palestinians face severe malnutrition and starvation risks, exacerbated by Israel’s blockade, which has received support from the United States and the European Union. Collins points to the destruction of 500 metric tonnes of emergency food aid in the United Arab Emirates last month, part of the U.S. wind-down of international aid through USAID, which has left over 60,000 tonnes of food stockpiled globally. This, he argues, is emblematic of a systemic issue where food is hoarded for profit while millions starve.

The crisis in Gaza is not isolated. Collins cites similar famine-level emergencies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where 27.7 million people face acute hunger amid conflict, and Sudan, where a two-year war has left 25 million in need of food aid, with 740,000 in North Darfur’s el-Fasher at risk of starvation. These crises, he contends, reflect a historical pattern rooted in Western colonialism and capitalism, where food deprivation has been weaponized to subjugate populations.

Collins traces this tactic back to the First Crusade in the 1090s, when European forces used siege warfare and starvation against Muslim and Jewish populations in the Holy Land. He also highlights the transatlantic slave trade, where enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples were denied adequate food while producing wealth for European powers. The Great Bengal Famine of the 1770s, caused by British East India Company policies, and German colonial atrocities in Namibia and Tanzania in the early 20th century further illustrate this trend.

In the U.S., Collins notes, the legacy of starvation as control persists. From colonial-era policies that displaced Indigenous groups to modern welfare reforms, such as recent SNAP (food stamps) work requirements, the U.S. has often tied food access to labor, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Collins shares his own experience of hunger in the 1980s, underscoring the personal toll of food insecurity.

Despite global food production being sufficient to feed over 10 billion people annually, Collins argues that profit-driven agribusiness and geopolitical strategies continue to deny food to vulnerable populations. He warns that such tactics, rooted in a history of oppression, undermine global peace and perpetuate suffering.

For more details on global hunger and related issues, visit reputable sources like the United Nations or Al Jazeera’s coverage.