Domicide
Domicide (from Latin domus, meaning home or abode, and caedo, meaning deliberate killing) is the widespread destruction of a living environment forcing the incumbent humans to move elsewhere.[1][2] In a human rights context, domicide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of housing and basic infrastructure, making an area uninhabitable.[3] The concept of domicide originated in the 1970s, but only assumed its present meaning in 2022, after a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing.[3][4][5]
Notable historical examples of domicide include the destruction of Warsaw and Dresden during World War II, the Khmer Rouge's destruction in Cambodia,[6] and the destruction of Gaza in the Israel–Hamas War.[7] Experts have argued that international law should be amended to consider domicide a war crime.[8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Sullivan, Becky (9 February 2024). "What is 'domicide,' and why has war in Gaza brought new attention to the term?". National Public Radio. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ Porteous, Douglas; Sandra E. Smith (2001). Domicide: The Global Destruction Of Home. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 12. ISBN 9780773569614.
- ^ a b "Amid Israeli Destruction in Gaza, a New Crime Against Humanity Emerges: Domicide". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "Report of the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Balakrishnan Rajagopal (A/77/190) [EN/AR/RU/ZH] - World | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ ""Domicide" must be recognised as an international crime: UN expert". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. October 28, 2022.
- ^ Collins, Andrew E (2009). Disaster and Development. Routledge. p. 109. ISBN 9780203879238.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick (7 December 2023). "Widespread destruction in Gaza puts concept of 'domicide' in focus". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Rajagopal, Balakrishnan (2024-01-29). "Opinion | Domicide: The Mass Destruction of Homes Should Be a Crime Against Humanity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
Further reading[edit]
- Azzouz, Ammar (November 2022). Domicide: Architecture, War and the Destruction of Home in Syria. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1350248106.
- Porteous, Douglas; Smith, Sandra E. (2001). Domicide: The Global Destruction Of Home. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0773522572.
External links[edit]
- Domicide: The Mass Destruction of Homes Should Be a Crime Against Humanity, MIT Faculty Newsletter (January—March 2024)
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