Famine: Historical examples of the causes of famine

Famine in Ireland: 1845 - 48

The potato blight:

In the 1800s, the potato was the main source of food for the majority of people in Ireland. However, the potato can be highly unreliable as was proven between 1845 and 1848 when harvests failed due to blight. This blight continued for over three years in Ireland and was an immediate trigger for the famous Irish famine that killed at least one million and saw another million flee the country.

Underdevelopment and poverty:

At the time of the famine the majority of the population of Ireland lived in extreme poverty and the economy was underdeveloped. As many of the population depended on agriculture (mostly the potato) for subsistence, they were therefore, in a very vulnerable and exposed position. Had the economy been more developed, stable and wealthier, with less dependence and emphasis on agriculture, the potato blight would not have been so devastating for the country. In this circumstance, and is usually the case, poverty was a key contributing factor to the onset of famine. The most telling evidence for this is the fact that there was an adequate supply of food within the country at the time. People just lacked the basic resources to access it.

Relief (or lack of it):

There was significant inaction from British Government to supply adequate funds for relief, while huge amounts were being spent on military engagements abroad. This was partly due to the belief of certain officials that relief would only promote dependency and things should take their 'natural course'. A serious lack of medical resources provoked the situation further. With a population of over 8 million people, there were only 1300 doctors, mostly concentrated in the richer parts of the country. Ultimately, the majority of people died from famine fever and other disease than poverty.

Famine in Somalia in 1992:

Poverty:

Somalia is one of the world's poorest countries. The poverty that goes with the underdevelopment of a country can be a major contributing factor to a famine - as was the case in Somalia.

Aid:

Superpower intervention in Somalia in terms of aid was sporadic and related to the wants of the superpowers themselves, rather than to that of the poor Somalian people. Aid for the building of important roads, ports and for the military was massive. This left very little for investing in health, education and basic services such as water and sanitation.

Environmental damage:

Reoccuring drought and other environmental damage such as deforestation have been significant contributing factors to triggering the crisis in Somalia.

War:

Violence, conflict and war have all been important contributing factors to the situation in Somalia in the past. Colonialism, clan rivalry, territorial aggression and the arms industry were also major contributors to the crisis. All of the world's major superpowers in the last two centuries used Somalia as a pawn in their global strategies.