FAMINE-AFFECTED POPULATIONS

Definition and Causes

Famine has been defined as "a condition of populations in which a substantial increase in deaths is associated with inadequate food consumption" (6). Famine does not necessarily arise solely from problems of food production. Natural disasters (e.g., drought or crop infestations) may act as triggers, but lack of sufficient food for consumption may be due to economic collapse and loss of purchasing power in some sections of the population, (i.e., the Indian famine of 1972). In early 1992, efforts to assess the impact of sudden economic changes in the republics of the former Soviet Union have focused on income and food price indicators. In Russia, elderly pensioners were identified as a vulnerable group among whom the income-to-food cost ratio was estimated to be 1:2 in mid-January (7). Other causes of famine have included disruption of food production and marketing by armed conflict (i.e., Biafra in 1968, Sudan in 1988, and Somalia in 1991) and widespread civil disturbances (i.e., Zaire in 1991).

Famine is usually caused by the amplification of a pre-existing condition characterized by widespread poverty, intractable debt, underemployment, and high malnutrition prevalence. Under these conditions, a large percentage of the population may routinely experience starvation. When additional burdens related to the production or availability of food arise, generalized starvation occurs rapidly. In recent years, frequent crop failures in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and the Sahelian countries of Africa have been attributed to progressive deterioration of the environment, including deforestation, desertification, and poor agricultural practices.

Populations experiencing famine may or may not displace themselves in order to improve food availability. Initially, male family members may migrate to cities or neighboring countries to seek employment. During a full-scale famine, whole families and villages may flee to other regions or countries in a desperate search for food. In most of the major population displacements of the past 20 years, however, people have been forced to flee because of fear for their physical security caused by war or civil strife. Famine in the absence of violence has generated few of the world's refugees.


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