A World Without Hunger? The Hypocrisy of Celebrating in Ethiopia While We Starve
The World Without Hunger conference, held from November 5 to 7, 2024, in Addis Ababa, is an event shrouded in irony and hypocrisy. At its core, this international gathering aims to chart a global path toward ending hunger. Governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and business leaders from around the world have convened to declare their commitments to “Zero Hunger,” making ambitious pledges to address food insecurity worldwide. For the rest of the world, this may seem like a hopeful moment—a chance to recommit to eliminating hunger. But for Tigrayans and others facing starvation in Ethiopia, this conference is a cruel charade. It allows the Ethiopian government to whitewash its reputation as a leader against hunger, even as it stands accused of inflicting hunger as a weapon of war against its own people. As Tigrayans, we know that hunger is not always the result of failed crops, poor weather, or a lack of resources. Hunger is often political, wielded as a tool to dominate and punish. In Tigray,