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Food security in conflict and disaster zones

Guest Editors:
Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, PhD, Addis Ababa University, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Birgit Kemmerling, PhD, BICC Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies gGmbH, Germany
Rebecca Pietrelli, PhD, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
 

BMC Nutrition called for submissions to our Collection on Food security in conflict and disaster zones and invited researchers and practitioners working in this critical field to contribute their findings and insights on tackling food security in areas affected by conflict and disaster. This Collection aims to shed light on the multifaceted challenges communities face in these contexts and explore strategies to improve food security and improve these communities' lives.

New Content ItemThis collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 2: Zero Hunger.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, PhD, Addis Ababa University, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Disaster Risk Management and Development at the Center for Food Security Studies, College of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University. Desalegn holds a PhD degree in Geography. Desalegn serves as the Deputy Editor of the International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management. He has published more than 70 publications including books, book chapters, and referred journal articles. His principal areas of research interest include climate change vulnerability, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation and related issues, indigenous weather forecasting, integrated natural resources rehabilitation and management, livelihoods and food security nexus, among others. He has been actively involved in climate resilience and integrated natural resources rehabilitation and disaster risk management research, and development interventions to improve food security.

Birgit Kemmerling, PhD, BICC Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies gGmbH, Germany

Birgit Kemmerling, PhD, is a senior researcher at Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies in Germany. She holds a PhD in geography. For the past fifteen years, she has been researching and working in various countries in the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa. Her research and publications focus on understanding the – often conflictive – relations between humans and the environment and its implications for practitioners in development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Currently, Birgit works on the links between food insecurity and violent conflict and explores the opportunities and risks to tackle multiple crises by improving the links between humanitarian assistance, development cooperation and peacebuilding (HDP Nexus).

Rebecca Pietrelli, PhD, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy

Rebecca Pietrelli, Ph.D., serves as an economist within the Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Specializing in economic and impact evaluation analyses, her role involves informing and assessing various programs, particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa and the Middle East. She possesses extensive expertise in the design of surveys and the conduct of analyses pertaining to food security and resilience in crisis and emergency scenarios. Her journal articles are centered on topics such as migration, resilience, food security, vulnerability to poverty, and conflict. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Sapienza University of Rome and holds an MSc in Development Economics from Sussex University (UK).

About the collection

BMC Nutrition called for submissions to our Collection on Food security in conflict and disaster zones.

Food security is a fundamental human right but remains a global concern. Millions worldwide face inadequate access to sufficient safe and nutritious food. Communities in conflict and disaster zones often experience the disruption or complete destruction of the systems maintaining their food infrastructure, causing severe damage to their health and well-being. Addressing these challenges is a moral imperative to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

This Collection seeks to bring together new research on the myriad challenges of maintaining food security in conflict and disaster zones and insights on how they might be resolved. We invited original contributions that explore the following topics, among others:

  • Food infrastructure disruption and its impact on food security: Examining how conflict and disasters affect food production, distribution, and access and their subsequent consequences on food security.
  • Humanitarian aid and interventions: Assessing the effectiveness of various interventions to ensure food security in crisis settings. (e.g. emergency food aid, cash transfers, and livelihood support.
  • Nutrition and health outcomes: Investigating the impact of food insecurity in conflict and disaster zones on nutritional status, health outcomes, mental health, and the long-term consequences for affected populations.
  • Resilience and adaptation: Exploring approaches to build resilience and promote adaptive strategies to enhance food security (e.g. including climate change adaptation and sustainable agricultural practices).
  • Policy and governance: Analyzing the role of policies and international frameworks in addressing food security challenges and identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.

By providing a platform for researchers to share their expertise, this Collection aims to stimulate interdisciplinary dialogue and generate evidence-based insights to inform policy and practice in food security.

Image credit: kuarmungadd / stock.adobe.com

  1. Anemia, characterized by a deficiency in red blood cells or hemoglobin, remains a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly among children and adolescents. Inadequate dietary intake, including ...

    Authors: Haiting Li, Seyedeh Parisa Moosavian, Niloufar Ghanbari, Seyed Hossein Mirlohi and Mehran Rahimlou
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2025 11:83
    Content type: Systematic Review Published on:

  2. Communities afflicted by armed conflict are characterized by pervasive malnutrition and widespread hunger. For nearly two years, there has been an unbroken conflict in Tigray. However, little is understood abo...

    Authors: Hadush Gebregziabher, Amaha Kahsay, Gebretsadkan Gebremedhin Gebretsadik, Tedros Bereket, Teklay Negash Gebregziabher, Micheale Yifter Weldemichael, Afework Mulugeta and Alem Gebremariam
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2025 11:82
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Only a small percentage of children with severe and moderate acute malnutrition receive treatment due to resource limitations, relatively complex treatment protocols, persistent supply chain challenges, and li...

    Authors: Indi Trehan, Yosef Beyene, Hiwot Darsene, Bailey S. Adams, Maria Wrabel, Getu Gizaw, Liya A. Legese, Bernardette Cichon, Stanley Chitekwe, Mesfin W. Shellemew, Masresha Tessema and Heather C. Stobaugh
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2025 11:71
    Content type: Study Protocol Published on:

  4. Many interventions in Cameroon focus on addressing severe wasting rather than targeting moderate wasting, although the latter is more prevalent. The objective of the study was to evaluate dietary outcomes in a...

    Authors: Brice Ulrich Saha Foudjo, Ismael Teta, Jennifer Notkin Nielsen, Yunhee Kang, Georges Nguefack-Tsague, Carole Debora Nounkeu, Djeinam Touré, David Doledec and Julius Oben
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2025 11:58
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Armed conflicts cause food insecurity and famine by triggering the disruption and destruction of food systems. The conflict that erupted in northern Ethiopia lasted from 2020 to 2022 and affected millions of p...

    Authors: Jemal Hassen Muhyie, Desalegn Yayeh, Seblewongiel Ayenalem Kidanie, Wubshet Asnake Metekia and Temesgen Tilahun
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2025 11:29
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Rapid urbanisation without concomitant infrastructure development has led to the creation of urban slums throughout sub-Saharan Africa. People living in urban slums are particularly vulnerable to food insecuri...

    Authors: Temitope Ilori, Nicola Christofides and Laurel Baldwin-Ragaven
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2024 10:122
    Content type: Research Published on:

  7. Complex humanitarian emergencies are a main driver of food and nutritional insecurity. Agricultural interventions are key to improving nutrition and food security, and their positive impacts are well-documente...

    Authors: Melodie Al Daccache, Berthe Abi Zeid, Leila Hojeij, Ghassan Baliki, Tilman Brück and Hala Ghattas
    Citation: BMC Nutrition 2024 10:60
    Content type: Systematic Review Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select Food security in conflict and disaster zones from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Guest Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Guest Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.