The Syrian civil war continues to highlight one of the most tragic dimensions of warfare: using food as a weapon. More than 80 percent of deliveries of food and humanitarian aid to Aleppo were blocked as of the end of September by Syrian forces, a practice that has become part of the tactics used by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime since the inception of the conflict in 2011. The breakdown of the most recent ceasefire there underscores Assad’s commitment to withholding food supplies to harm innocent civilians. Photos from Aleppo document signs in Arabic which state “Kneel or Starve.”

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