Initially, it was believed that famine was becoming extinct due to technological advancements, economic growth, and global humanitarian efforts. However, the 2011 famine in Somalia, which resulted in the deaths of 260,000 people, proved this notion wrong. Since then, there have been more famines declared in Africa, as well as several near misses. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the problem of acute food insecurity, with the number of food-insecure people increasing globally. Additionally, the ongoing war in Ukraine threatens to disrupt food supplies and the stability of the global food market
Old-fashioned famines were caused by natural factors like pests and plant diseases. Modern famines are triggered by political crises, wars, and totalitarian rule. The speaker mentions the famine in Soviet Russia after World War I, where mass starvation occurred under the Communist government. They also highlight the famine in Ukraine in 1932-33, known as the Holodomor, caused by Stalin’s collectivization policies. However, the most catastrophic famine of the 20th century occurred in China during the “Great Leap Forward” when millions of people died due to Mao Zedong’s attempt to industrialize the country. The speaker explains that as totalitarian governments decreased in the late 20th century, famines also declined, but it is important to note that most famine victims’ deaths are due to famine-related diseases caused by severe malnutrition.
Famines are not solely caused by population growth or natural disasters. In reality, most famines are the result of a combination of factors. The section concludes by mentioning the development of a famine early warning system, which aims to predict and prevent famines through intervention and humanitarian aid. However, food insecurity, exacerbated by COVID-19 and climate change, could lead to even worse famine conditions in the future.
