Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts ?
Yemen and South Sudan
Understanding Famine and Conflict-Driven Crises
The question asks to identify countries that have recently experienced severe famine, acute malnutrition, or deaths due to starvation, primarily caused by war or ethnic conflicts affecting lakhs of people.
Conflicts significantly disrupt food production, distribution, access to markets, and essential services like healthcare, leading to food insecurity and humanitarian crises. When conflict is prolonged and intense, it can precipitate famine conditions.
Analyzing the Options
Let's examine each option based on recent global events and reports regarding famine and conflict:
- Angola and Zambia: While these countries have faced food security challenges in the past, recent large-scale famine directly attributed to ongoing war or widespread ethnic conflicts leading to lakhs of deaths/severe malnutrition is not characteristic of their current situation compared to other regions globally.
- Morocco and Tunisia: These North African nations, while potentially facing economic or environmental challenges affecting food security, have not recently experienced widespread famine and starvation deaths on the scale described, caused by war or ethnic conflict.
- Venezuela and Colombia: Venezuela has faced a severe economic and political crisis leading to food shortages and malnutrition, and Colombia has dealt with internal conflict. However, the specific scenario of lakhs of people suffering severe famine/starvation deaths primarily from ongoing large-scale war or ethnic conflict aligns less with the recent situation in these countries compared to certain other regions.
- Yemen and South Sudan: Both Yemen and South Sudan have been widely reported by international organizations and media in recent years as facing severe humanitarian crises driven by conflict. These crises include widespread famine, acute malnutrition, and starvation deaths affecting millions of people, directly linked to ongoing civil war in Yemen and ethnic/political conflict in South Sudan.
Focus on Yemen and South Sudan Crises
Yemen:
Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war for many years. This conflict has caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, economic collapse, mass displacement, and severe disruption of essential services, including food supply chains and healthcare. Blockades and restrictions on imports, coupled with internal fighting, have limited access to food and humanitarian aid for large segments of the population. This has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing food insecurity and a significant number suffering from acute malnutrition and starvation.
South Sudan:
Since gaining independence, South Sudan has been plagued by internal conflict, including civil war and ethnic violence. This has resulted in massive displacement, destruction of livelihoods (like farming and cattle herding), economic instability, and limited access for humanitarian assistance in many areas. The conflict has severely impacted food production and distribution, pushing large populations into emergency levels of food insecurity and resulting in famine conditions in various parts of the country, causing widespread malnutrition and starvation.
Reports from the United Nations and other humanitarian bodies have consistently highlighted the dire situations in both Yemen and South Sudan, detailing how conflict has been the primary driver of widespread famine, acute malnutrition, and preventable deaths among lakhs of people.
Conclusion
Based on recent humanitarian reports, Yemen and South Sudan are two countries where large numbers of people have indeed suffered severe famine, acute malnutrition, or died due to starvation caused by war or ethnic conflicts.
Revision Table: Famine and Conflict Hotspots
| Country | Primary Driver of Crisis | Impact on Food Security | Scale of Suffering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yemen | Civil War, Blockades | Disrupted supply chains, economic collapse, limited aid access | Widespread food insecurity, acute malnutrition, starvation deaths among lakhs |
| South Sudan | Internal Conflict, Ethnic Violence | Destroyed livelihoods, displacement, limited aid access | Famine conditions in areas, widespread malnutrition, starvation deaths among lakhs |
Additional Information: Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
Conflict creates humanitarian crises through multiple pathways:
- Displacement: People are forced to leave their homes, losing access to land, jobs, and resources.
- Economic Collapse: Conflict destroys infrastructure, disrupts markets, halts economic activity, leading to unemployment and poverty.
- Agriculture Disruption: Farming is impossible or dangerous in conflict zones, leading to reduced food production.
- Restricted Access: Fighting, checkpoints, and deliberate blockades prevent humanitarian aid from reaching affected populations.
- Healthcare Breakdown: Health facilities are destroyed or inaccessible, making it difficult to treat malnutrition and related illnesses.
Addressing conflict-induced famine requires not only humanitarian aid but also efforts towards peacebuilding and conflict resolution to restore stability and allow communities to rebuild.
