List of famines

List of Famines

The history of humanity is punctuated by numerous famines, which are extreme scarcities of food that result in widespread hunger, malnutrition, and a significant increase in mortality. This article provides an overview of some of the most significant famines that have occurred throughout human history, highlighting their causes, impacts, and the regions they affected.

Ancient Famines

• Famine in Egypt (BC 1700s) - One of the earliest recorded famines, which was documented in both the Bible and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. It is believed to have been caused by a series of low Nile floods.
• Roman Famine of 436 BC - A severe famine that struck the Roman Empire, leading to significant distress and contributing to the political and social unrest of the period.

Medieval Famines

• Great Famine of 1315-1317 - A catastrophic famine that affected large parts of Europe, leading to millions of deaths. This famine was caused by a combination of climate change, war, and pestilence.
• Famine of 1344-1345 in China - Part of a series of famines that struck China during the 14th century, significantly weakening the Yuan Dynasty.

17th and 18th Centuries

• Great Famine of 1695-1697 - A devastating famine that affected parts of the Baltic region, killing a significant portion of the population due to crop failures and harsh winters.
• Bengal Famine of 1770 - A catastrophic famine in the Bengal region of India, which was then under the rule of the British East India Company. It resulted in the deaths of approximately 10 million people, a third of the region's population.

19th Century

• Great Irish Famine (1845-1849) - Also known as the Potato Famine, it was caused by a potato disease that devastated the main food source for many in Ireland, leading to approximately one million deaths and a massive wave of emigration.
• Great Famine of 1876–1878 - Affected India, China, Brazil, Northern Africa, and other parts of the globe, resulting in over 50 million deaths worldwide, primarily due to drought and subsequent crop failures.

20th Century

• Russian Famine of 1921-1922 - Caused by a combination of war, civil unrest, and drought, leading to the deaths of approximately 5 million people in the Soviet Union.
• Holodomor (1932-1933) - A man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine that killed millions of Ukrainians, widely considered to be a genocide by the Soviet government under Joseph Stalin.
• Chinese Famine of 1959-1961 - Also known as the Great Chinese Famine, it was caused by a combination of social policies, adverse weather, and economic mismanagement during the Great Leap Forward, leading to the deaths of an estimated 15 to 45 million people.

21st Century

While the frequency and scale of famines have decreased in the 21st century due to advancements in agriculture and logistics, regions affected by war, economic instability, and climate change continue to face the threat of famine. Notable examples include the famine conditions in parts of South Sudan and Yemen.

See Also

• Food security
• Humanitarian aid
• Drought
• Economic history of famine