Abstract:
The right to adequate food, as recognized under various human rights instruments, is
inherently connected to human dignity and is indispensable for the enjoyment of other human
rights. This right is primarily about feeding oneself with dignity. However, in an exceptional
scenario such as a disaster or armed conflict that af ects the ability of an individual to feed
themselves with dignity, the government bears the obligation to provide food directly. In the
study area, due to the current drought, which resulted in their displacement, the pastoralist
communities are unable to feed themselves with dignity. Thus, the thesis assesses the extent to
which the right to adequate food is realized in the study area. It assesses whether and to what
degree the government has discharged its obligation to realize the right to adequate food for
pastoralist communities in drought situations. To achieve this objective, the study has
employed a blend of doctrinal and empirical legal research methodologies using a qualitative
research design. The finding reveals that food is not available in the study area. Even the
limited emergency food aid provided to the IDPs does not fulfill the core contents of the right
to adequate food availability, adequacy, and accessibility. Also, there is a prevalence of
malnutrition and hunger crises in the selected IDPs camp. The absence of early warning, failure to declare a state of emergency, and lack of prioritization in addressing emergencies
are among the factors found to be af ecting the realization of the right to adequate food in the
study area. The research concludes that in the study area, recurring droughts are the
consequence of natural disasters, whereas hunger resulting from drought is a manifestation
of the state's failure to fulfill at the very least, the minimum core obligation to ensure the right
to be free from hunger. The thesis recommends, among other things, declaring a state of
emergency, adopting a human rights approach to emergencies, and prioritizing resources to
ensure the right to
