Food security has been one of the most pressing issues since time immemorial. Food production and provisioning have always been demanding task, especially in times of war. An armed conflict often leads to disruption of the prevailing social order and it transforms social and economic patterns of everyday life. Moreover, wars also generally result in shortages of food, water and medical supplies, which further generates undernourishment as well as chronic hunger and famine. This article discusses the role of food in armed
conflicts with an increased focus on situations when starvation is intentionally imposed on targeted populations. As Collinson and Macbeth (2014) emphasise, such intentional restriction of food by either of the sides of a conflict is a "weapon of war". These complex
processes are going to be illustrated primarily on the example of the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, selected events and circumstances are going to be additionally compared with historical use and social significance of salt with an emphasis on warfare. The main research focus is aimed at the former UN "Safe" Area Srebrenica and theoverall scarcity of salt in the besieged enclave during the 1990s war. Not only that during the Bosnian War, salt was purchased for precious metal items but also for those on the verge of life and death, the small amount of salt sometimes became worth more than gold.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the image of the city as represented and conceptualized in the works of prominent modern Arab poets, mainly since the 1950s. In this article, I will argue that the attitude of these modernists toward the city is characterized by a unique ambivalence. On the one hand, many of them (particularly those who migrated from provincial towns and rural areas to a capital city) unequivocally depict the city or metropolis as a harsh and cruel prison. On the other hand, these same poets recognize the immeasurable possibilites and the immense cultural space the big city offers its inhabitants, especially its poets and artists. Accordingly, a more incisive reading of their works reveals that modern Arab poets are also enthralled and captivated by the modern city. They feel that they have to put up with the metropolis, awe inspiring as it may be, distant from the "firsts sky" as it may be, because it allows them to confront paradox and incongruity, thus eliciting creativity. Therefore, as far as most Arab modernist poets are concerned, having been uprooted from their home village has put them face to face with "the other". In their eyes, it is exactly this challenge to their comfortable and somewhat stolid existence that propels them to the forefront of artistic creation.