Famine and Human Agency As the majority of people already know, famine is an extreme shortage or widespread scarcity of food in a particular region caused by a number of different factors. Causes of this disastrous phenomenon included issues such as crop failure, over populated areas or population imbalance and even government politics. In places where there is famine present, people do not have enough food available to eat which results in weight loss in adults and stunted growth in children. If a famine continues for a long period of time it can cause malnutrition, an outbreak of infectious diseases, starvation and begins to increase the mortality. Tragically we tend to see the young die first and often the diseases will kill more people
As a result, thousands are starving and becoming malnourished. It will continue if nothing is done. This famine has harmed human beings and has put them under stress. Thus, they have little food and are experiencing many hardships. The food security in Somalia has dropped substantially due to a famine that has caused thousands to die from starvation, if there is no aid given to these malnourished people, the country will break down in security causing people to be defenseless and at risk.
The Great Famine devastated Ireland in the mid 1800’s. At least one million people died and many more suffered due to poverty and sickness. The main factor that contributed to this event was the potato blight, which infected the potato crop and the Irish who heavily depended on it as their staple food. But what about the other factors? The blight was not the only factor that contributed to Ireland’s poor state at the time.
In 1845, Ireland was hit with a devastating blight that destroyed all of its potatoes and caused more than a million people to die of starvation and disease. The Irish Potato Famine, also known as The Great Famine, was a tragic time in Irish history, lasting from 1845 - 1849. Ireland’s poor was very dependant on potatoes, so the sudden death of the potatoes devastated Ireland’s population. Ireland got almost no help from Great Britain, so it had to help itself, but it did not have the resources to do so. The famine was caused by a combination of a population explosion, the tenant farmer system, Irish dependance on a single food source, the appearance of a terrible blight, British laws, and insufficient response of the British government.
Even the number of hungry people in the world exceeds the total population of US and European Union. Extreme hunger and mal¬nutrition remain as blockade to development and creates a set up from which people cannot easily go out. Hunger and malnutrition mean less productive individuals, who are more susceptible to disease and often unable to earn much more and improve their livelihoods. There are nearly 800 million people in this world who suffer from hunger worldwide, the major¬ity
It is said that the salaries of the workers hardly reach the essential legal minimum salary of any individual (Cambindo, 2009). In addition to the economic impacts, sugar is also related to negative social impacts. Indeed, Storr (2012) claims that many workers in the sugar cane plantation are dying from many reasons that result in the decrease of the countries populations. One of the major reasons includes being easily exposed to the chronic kidney disease that is an epidemic that is considered the second biggest killer in Central America that has been killing many land workers (Storr, 2012). The disease is found 25.7% in men and 11.8% in women.
This has caused many of North Korea’s citizens to become malnourished, and in some cases, even the victims of extreme famine. It may go without saying, but famine of this like is most certainly a Human Rights violation. To that note, at no point in time were conditions worse in North Korea than from the years 1994 until 1998 – when North Korea endured most extreme famine. This stemming from a serve food supply shortage, combined with severe flooding, and droughting, throughout the nation. The fact that the 1994-1998 food shortage was exacerbated by a series of floods, and droughts, in no way renders the State innocent.
Well poverty refers to a condition where one is unable to obtain human basic needs such as food, clothes , healthcare, and shelter .Poverty has been around for a long time and it is killing the growth population . It all started when the rich are getting richer and the poor are poorer. Poverty causes people to have low self-esteem and it deprives people of their basic needs . Today poverty is still a major issue in India as poor families living in piles of trash with no clothes and many of them die because of hunger. Many Indian people are struggling to survive because they only get a meal per day or they don’t get it at all.
Famine is a significant detriment to optimal health and continues to affect millions of people around the world. According to the World Health Organization, famine-induced starvation can lead to a weakened immune system since it requires nutrients from balanced diet. As a result, there is a heightened susceptibility to opportunistic diseases, which can cause mass casualties. Famine also has implications for population dynamics as rates of displacement and social collapse increase as fewer people have access to critical nutrients. At present, South Sudan is suffering from famine that has affected over 100 000 people, with nearly six million more at risk.
Wars destroy crops, homes, schools and hospitals causing, even more, poverty. 42,000 people are put in a position where they are forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in safer countries. These neighbouring countries, some of which were developing, will be made poor again by the sudden influx of refugees who are without money or food. War is not the only thing that can cause extreme poverty. Many developing countries are located in areas of the world where natural disasters occur frequently and severely.