8. Definitions of famine
• The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system
has 5 levels of food security
• Phase 1: Generally food secure
• Phase 2: Moderately/borderline food insecure
• Phase 3: Acute food and livelihood crisis
• Phase 4: Humanitarian emergency
• Phase 5: Famine/humanitarian catastrophe
• The UN define famine as ‘when 1/3 of children
are acutely malnourished and 4 out of every
10,000 children dying each day’.
• Link
LO: Causes of Famine
9. Causes of famine
• There are complex, multiple causes that cause
famine and it can be a very difficult issue to
understand.
• This table summarises them in three categories;
LO: Causes of Famine
video
10.
11. Causes of famine
• Agricultural systems of production fail. Might be
caused by natural factors (e.g. drought, natural
disaster, pests destroying crops, etc.) Video here
• Harsh environmental conditions. Too much to too little
rainfall. Video here
• Underlying poverty, already on the brink of famine.
• Lack of government spending on agriculture. E.g. no
irrigation or infrastructure.
• Population pressures – too many mouths to feed.
• Civil war. Fighters not farmers needed. Watch here and
here
LO: Causes of Famine
12. CASE STUDY : Famine in East Africa
2011
• Is all of
Somalia in a
drought
region?
• Useful
background
information
HERE
LO: Causes of Famine
13. Research / Homework
• Research into the case study of Famine in
Somalia in 2011 and outline any short term &
long term causes.
• Include where you got your information from,
i.e. sources and authors.
• Top 10 culprits BBC article
LO: Causes of Famine
14. Just a minute
• Turn to your neighbour and talk for 30
seconds without saying umm or err on the
topic of
FAMINE
LO: Causes of Famine
