Famine

Famine is a severe and prolonged hunger in a substantial proportion of the population of a region or country, resulting in malnutrition and starvation, and its social and economic disruption. Famine is usually caused by crop failure, government policies, war or other calamities, or a combination of these.

Causes of Famine

Famines can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• Crop failure: This can be due to pests, diseases, or unfavorable weather conditions such as droughts or floods.
• Government policies: Policies that disrupt food production or distribution can lead to famine. This can include policies that favor certain groups at the expense of others, or policies that disrupt traditional farming practices.
• War: War can disrupt food production and distribution, leading to famine. This can be due to direct destruction of crops or infrastructure, or due to the diversion of resources to the war effort.
• Natural disasters: Natural disasters such as floods, droughts, or earthquakes can disrupt food production and distribution, leading to famine.

Effects of Famine

The effects of famine can be devastating and long-lasting. They can include:

• Malnutrition: This is a condition that results from eating a diet in which one or more nutrients are either not enough or are too much such that the diet causes health problems. It can lead to serious health problems, including stunted growth, eye problems, diabetes and heart disease.
• Starvation: This is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient, and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death.
• Social and economic disruption: Famine can lead to social unrest, population displacement, and economic collapse.

Prevention and Relief

Preventing and relieving famine involves a combination of short-term relief efforts and long-term strategies to improve food security. This can include:

• Food aid: This involves the provision of food or of assistance to purchase food. Food aid can come from international organizations, governments, or non-governmental organizations.
• Agricultural development: This involves improving farming practices and infrastructure to increase food production.
• Social safety nets: These are non-contributory transfer programs seeking to prevent the poor or those vulnerable to shocks and poverty from falling below a certain poverty level.

See Also

• Food security
• Hunger
• Malnutrition
• Starvation

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