Nutrition in Crisis: How Geopolitical Tensions Impact Food Security and Public Health

India has Lived Through Moments Like This Before

“I’ve never fought in a war. But I’ve lived through one—from the other side of the kitchen window.”

I was just a teenager in 1999 when Kargil happened. We weren’t on the battlefield, but the fear crept quietly into our homes. My mother cooked simpler meals. The grocery shelves were suddenly bare. At night, we listened to the news on low volume, pretending everything was okay for us kids.

I didn’t understand geopolitics. But I understood hunger. I understood silence.

Now, at 50, when I see tensions rise again, I don’t think of borders first; I think of families.

Will a child go to sleep without milk tonight? Will an expecting mother have to choose between two essentials? This isn’t about politics. It’s about the plates on our tables. And what happens to them when the world shakes?

Now, as a nutritionist, that worry still lives inside me. Every time I hear talk of conflict, my mind instinctively focuses on food. Not as a luxury, but as a lifeline.

What happens when supply chains break? Will children have milk to drink? Will expecting mothers receive the nutrients they need to nourish two lives? Will families be left surviving on packets of dry food instead of real meals filled with nutrition and warmth?

This blog isn’t about politics. It’s about people. It’s about how war, even when it feels far away, slips silently into our kitchens, disrupts our health, and leaves millions nutritionally vulnerable.

How Conflict Impacts Food Security and Public Health

When and If Food Supply Chains Are Disrupted

In times of conflict, food systems rarely collapse entirely, but they do come under serious strain. Even short-term disruptions to farming, fuel supplies, or transport routes can cause ripple effects that impact availability, pricing, and access to food.

Nations that are major producers of staples like wheat, rice, or lentils may face lower output due to damage to agricultural land, labour shortages, or redirected infrastructure. For importing countries, delays and trade uncertainties often result in costlier shipments or rationed supplies.

These disruptions don’t affect everyone equally. In many cities, supermarkets may still function, but informal markets and lower-income neighbourhoods often experience shortages or price hikes first. For families already managing economic stress, even small increases in food costs can make essentials harder to afford.

The result isn't always visible scarcity; it's a silent shift in diet quality, where people are forced to compromise on nutrition, cut back on meals, or rely on less wholesome options just to get by.

Water Contamination and Sanitation Challenges

In conflict-affected regions, water systems may not fully collapse, but they are often damaged, disrupted, or deprioritised. Bombings, fuel shortages, or diversion of resources can limit water treatment and delay repairs to pipelines and sewage systems. The result is reduced access to clean water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.

Even where water is still flowing, it might not be safe. Contaminated water, whether from old pipes, nearby waste, or lack of filtration, can lead to outbreaks of diarrheal diseases like cholera or typhoid, particularly in crowded shelters and informal settlements.

For children, older adults, and those already experiencing malnutrition, these illnesses are not just short-term setbacks, they can be life-threatening. They also impair the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food, worsening health outcomes even when calories are available.

Water is often seen as separate from nutrition. It’s one of the most critical, yet

Under-recognised factors in whether people survive and recover during crises.

The Psychological Toll of Conflict on Eating Habits

How Stress Changes Our Relationship With Food

In dire times like these, our relationship with food is largely affected. The mental strain it causes on one person makes one feel displaced, where fear is the leading player in everyone's mind, and appetite and food choices suffer. 

Many individuals lose their desire to eat, relying on comfort foods like easy-to-make noodles, biscuits, and unhealthy munchies that are often high in salt, sugar, and do not help one even maintain their protein levels. You’ll notice that in moments of survival, the habits you’ve rooted yourself in will slowly start slipping away. 

Over time, nutritional imbalances will start occurring, and the years you’ve taken to become healthy will come to nothing, resulting in chronic anxiety, loss of sleep, impact on digestion, and restless nights. 

So remember this is a turmoil that India is facing–make sure to eat your meals and try your best to stick to your diet. If you can’t find a few ingredients for your meals, find alternatives that’ll give you the same results, but avoid comfort food. 

The Hidden Deficiencies Caused by Chronic Stress

Long-term stress depletes the body of critical micronutrients. Vitamin B12 and magnesium levels drop, affecting the nervous system and increasing fatigue and anxiety. Vitamin C and zinc are used up faster, weakening the immune response. Omega-3 fatty acids, important for brain function and mood, often disappear from the diet completely.

During conflict, where mental health support is scarce and diet quality declines, these deficiencies go unnoticed but cause real, lasting harm.

How to Maintain Good Nutrition During a Crisis

Planning for Smart Food Storage

Even during peacetime, it’s wise to be prepared. In uncertain times, food security begins at home. Stocking up on non-perishable, high-nutrient foods is one of the best ways to build a nutritional safety net.

Dry lentils, oats, seeds, nuts, and dried fruits offer lasting energy and valuable micronutrients. Homemade fermented foods like pickles and yoghurt provide gut-friendly probiotics. Multivitamin tablets and oral rehydration solutions (ORS) can help fill nutritional gaps when variety is limited. These aren’t luxuries, they’re essentials for survival and health.

Choosing Budget-Friendly, Nutrient-Dense Ingredients

A crisis diet doesn’t have to be a poor diet. Even on a limited budget, families can make smart food choices that offer balanced nutrition.

Eggs, chickpeas, tofu, and canned beans provide reliable protein. Brown rice, millets, and parboiled rice offer clean carbohydrates and fibre. Ghee, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds add healthy fats. Seasonal vegetables, citrus fruits, and homegrown sprouts can cover vitamin needs without breaking the bank.

Eating well during hard times is possible with planning and awareness.

Prioritising Clean Water and Safe Hydration

Always boil or filter water before drinking, especially when local water sources are unsafe. If someone is sick or dehydrated, use oral rehydration salts to restore lost electrolytes. Avoid alcohol and limit caffeine, which can increase dehydration and anxiety.

Safe hydration is a fundamental part of emergency nutrition that is often neglected until it’s too late.

Practising Mindful Eating for Mental Health

Food is more than fuel. It is a source of comfort, stability, and resilience. In high-stress environments, practice mindful eating. Eat slowly, chew properly, and focus on balanced portions rather than large quantities.

Stay consistent with simple meals instead of skipping food altogether. Hydrate well with clean water, coconut water, or warm herbal teas. Even small, steady habits help rebuild a sense of normalcy and control.