The extent of the meaning of the word 'imminent' is rather more difficult to ascertain. In its ordinary sense the word carries a connotation of some event which is impending or threatening, and by extension from that minatory sense it signifies that the event is due to take place shortly.
Another question may arise in relation to any rule which is concerned with the 'threat or use' of force or nuclear weapons, as to whether there is indeed a 'threat' of the kind which the rule of the law equiparates with actual use. The argument was given to be that in certain contexts the words may be virtually interchangeable. But to adopt another word, the minatory element in one action or set of actions may be different from the minatory element in another act or set of actions. It had been also opined that the general minatory element in the deployment of nuclear weapons in time of peace, is utterly different from the kind of specific 'threat' which is equated with actual use in those rules of customary international law which make both use and threat illegal.

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Elongated civil wars frequently cause the shortages of the
necessities of life such as food , clean water and medical
supplies , which in turn cause increasing minatory conditions
for diseases , starvation and death.