The History of Hunger
Hunger and famine have existed in human populations since the agricultural revolution began the transition from hunting and gathering to subsistence agriculture. Both chronic hunger and episodes of famine have persisted for centuries and today represent one of the world’s most widespread and urgent humanitarian issues. While hunger and famine may sound similar, they are two very different humanitarian problems with different characteristics. Everyone has experienced hunger at some point in their lives, but the chronic hunger experienced by millions of underprivileged people around the world is vastly different. It is not simply the feeling of an empty stomach, but rather hunger due to severe undernourishment and chronic food insecurity. Estimates of how many people go hungry in the world each year vary, but they range from 800 million to over 1 billion people around the world. An instance of widespread hunger is only declared a famine if it qualifies as a level five on the Integrated Phase Classification system (IPC). The following criteria are widely recognized by aid organizations and agencies worldwide as indicative of famine:
· At least 20% of the population has access to fewer than 2,100 kilocalories of food a day
· Acute malnutrition in more than 30% of children
· Two deaths per 10,000 people, or four child deaths per 10,000 children every day
The history of hunger and famine is ancient, and is even a part of the Old Testament of the Bible. All cases of hunger and famine, ancient or modern, share some of the same characteristics. They are caused by a combination of natural and man-made causes, and they result in widespread suffering and can claim millions of lives. Some famines from the 20th and 21st centuries stand out as some of the worst humanitarian crises in history, claiming millions of lives and displacing millions more. These include China in 1927, 1929 and from 1958-62; the Soviet Union from 1921-22, 1932-34 and 1946-47; Bengal in 1943; Cambodia in 1979; and North Korea from 1995-99. These historical famines were humanitarian catastrophes, exacerbated by poor climate conditions and human incompetence. In all of these cases, war and political miscalculation left millions of people susceptible to starvation, and in each of these famines more than one million people died. Images of these 20th century famines drive many humanitarians and aid organizations to pursue a world without hunger.
As early as human record indicates, widespread hunger and famine has been caused by many of the same man-made and natural factors for centuries, including crop failures due to drought, heat waves, or other natural hazards, as well as war, political unrest, and market failures. Additionally, while it is difficult to say whether famine and hunger are causes or consequences of absolute poverty, there is certainly a relationship between the two. Land insecurity and poverty can prevent people from being able to grow their own food and from being able to purchase it from others. What is important to recognize is that hunger and famine are not caused by a global shortage of food worldwide. The world has grown enough food to feed everyone on the planet for decades, and yet up to one billion people live with hunger and food insecurity every day.
Chronic hunger and the threat of famine are issues that are affecting millions of people right now, and are likely to persist as the global population continues to grow. From 2011 to 2012, millions of people faced life threatening food shortages in Somalia, a situation that was formally declared famine by the UN. The Sahel region in West Africa, Pakistan, and Somalia are just three examples of areas that are currently on the brink of famine following periods of drought, crop failure, food shortage, and political unrest. None of these situations have formally been declared famine as of yet, but the international aid community is calling for drastic and immediate action to prevent these severe food crises from escalating into famines.
· At least 20% of the population has access to fewer than 2,100 kilocalories of food a day
· Acute malnutrition in more than 30% of children
· Two deaths per 10,000 people, or four child deaths per 10,000 children every day
The history of hunger and famine is ancient, and is even a part of the Old Testament of the Bible. All cases of hunger and famine, ancient or modern, share some of the same characteristics. They are caused by a combination of natural and man-made causes, and they result in widespread suffering and can claim millions of lives. Some famines from the 20th and 21st centuries stand out as some of the worst humanitarian crises in history, claiming millions of lives and displacing millions more. These include China in 1927, 1929 and from 1958-62; the Soviet Union from 1921-22, 1932-34 and 1946-47; Bengal in 1943; Cambodia in 1979; and North Korea from 1995-99. These historical famines were humanitarian catastrophes, exacerbated by poor climate conditions and human incompetence. In all of these cases, war and political miscalculation left millions of people susceptible to starvation, and in each of these famines more than one million people died. Images of these 20th century famines drive many humanitarians and aid organizations to pursue a world without hunger.
As early as human record indicates, widespread hunger and famine has been caused by many of the same man-made and natural factors for centuries, including crop failures due to drought, heat waves, or other natural hazards, as well as war, political unrest, and market failures. Additionally, while it is difficult to say whether famine and hunger are causes or consequences of absolute poverty, there is certainly a relationship between the two. Land insecurity and poverty can prevent people from being able to grow their own food and from being able to purchase it from others. What is important to recognize is that hunger and famine are not caused by a global shortage of food worldwide. The world has grown enough food to feed everyone on the planet for decades, and yet up to one billion people live with hunger and food insecurity every day.
Chronic hunger and the threat of famine are issues that are affecting millions of people right now, and are likely to persist as the global population continues to grow. From 2011 to 2012, millions of people faced life threatening food shortages in Somalia, a situation that was formally declared famine by the UN. The Sahel region in West Africa, Pakistan, and Somalia are just three examples of areas that are currently on the brink of famine following periods of drought, crop failure, food shortage, and political unrest. None of these situations have formally been declared famine as of yet, but the international aid community is calling for drastic and immediate action to prevent these severe food crises from escalating into famines.