G eo Factsheet

www.curriculum-press.co.uk Number 205

GLOBAL HUNGER -
AN UPDATE
Introduction
Table 1 Types of global hunger and malnutrition.
Hunger can take many forms. Rarely is it outright starvation, more
commonly it is a case of specific calorie, protein or energy deficiency, or
a mixture of these leading to widespread occurrence (see Fig. 1). Often it Definition
may be manifest only in a seasonal form. In general, a diet which is
lacking in one essential food item is likely to be lacking in another. Starvation limited/non existent intake of food

The effects of hunger are diverse and interrelated. On the one hand there Deficiency diseases lack of specific vitamins or minerals
is the lack of growth in an individual, higher mortality and morbidity
rates, and on the other there are indirect effects such as the provision of Kwashiorkor likely to be a lack of protein
health care services, reduced economic output and productivity, lower
educational achievements and low incomes. Marasmus lack of calories/energy

This Factsheet looks at variations in hunger at a global level, and Obesity too much energy/protein foods
examines contrasting case studies of Lebanon, West Africa, East Africa,
North Korea and Myanmar (Burma).

Fig 1 The state of food insecurity in the World 2003.

Eastern
Europe &
Baltic
States

NorthAmerica East Asia

& the Caribbean

Central America South

Asia
Africa
% of population South
undernourished America
South-east Asia
35% or more & Oceania
20 - 34%
5 - 19%
2.5 - 4% Total population: 4,712,200,200
0 - 2.4% Total undernourished: 797,900,000
No data % of total population: 16%

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Global hunger - an update Geo Factsheet

Approaches to the study of hunger Global variations in hunger

Much of the early literature on hunger, famine and hunger were reports Overall, there are over 800 million hungry people in developing
on climate and its effect on food supplies, and on the problems of countries. Of the total number of undernourished:
transport, storage and relief organisations. Such studies were often
grouped under the umbrella term of Food Availability Deficit (F.A.D.), • 221.1 million live in India
which implied that food deficiencies were caused by local shortages due • 203.5 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa
to physical factors. • 142.1 million live in China
• 519 million live in Asia and the Pacific
More recently, the literature has been heavily influenced by political • 52.9 million live in Latin America and the Caribbean, and
and economic factors. Sen (1981) observed that not all food shortages • 33.1 million live in the Near East.
caused hunger, and increased hunger could be observed in areas where
food production was, in fact, increasing. This has been seen in India, Up to ten million people die every year of hunger and hunger-related
Ethiopia and Sudan. Food availability deficit could not therefore be diseases. Only 8% are the victims of high-profile hazards such as
seen as a complete explanation of the causes of malnutrition, nor did it earthquakes, floods, droughts and wars.
link hunger with the distribution of resources and poverty. In the
analysis of the population ‘at risk’ of malnutrition, it became clear that Three-quarters of all hungry people live in rural areas. Overwhelmingly
it was important to encompass the political and economic system in dependent on agriculture for their food, these populations have limited
which food is produced, distributed and consumed. This included not alternative sources of income or employment and, as a result, are
just the physical factors which affected yield, but also people’s access particularly vulnerable to crises.
to food, and the conditions which cause that access to alter, i.e. food
entitlement deficit (FED). Sen’s work has generally been accepted, The FAO calculates that of the LEDCs’ 815 million hungry:
although it is important to consider the physical factors, such as such as • half are farming families, surviving off marginal lands prone to
precipitation and environmental degradation, as a potential trigger of natural disasters like drought or flood.
famines. Fig. 2 summarises the causal content of human vulnerability • one in five belong to landless families dependent on farming.
to food insecurity and hunger • about 10% live in communities whose livelihoods depend on herding,
fishing or forest resources.
More recent studies have taken into account LEDC problems, North- • the remaining 25% live in shanty towns on the periphery of the
South relations and environmental crises as having an important bearing biggest cities in developing countries. The numbers of poor and
on the issue. In addition the growing refugee problem has been identified hungry city dwellers are rising rapidly along with the world's total
as the ‘new wave’ of malnutrition. In certain cases, such as in Myanmar, urban population.
Angola and Rwanda, the links between armed struggles and malnutrition
is clear. In South Asia the high prevalence of childhood malnutrition is Child hunger
closely linked to the poor status of women. Hunger still claims lives and scars the lives of those who survive it,
especially young children. Malnutrition contributes to 53% of the 10.6
Fig. 2 The causal context of vulnerability. million deaths of children under five each year in LEDCs. This amounts
to one child dying every five seconds. An estimated 167 million children
under five years of age in the world are underweight. This means that one
UNDERLYING IMMEDIATE HUNGER DIRECT in five of all hungry people are children aged less than five.
PROCESSES CAUSES SITUATIONS CONSEQUENCES
All too often, child hunger is inherited: up to 17 million children are born
underweight annually, the result of inadequate nutrition before and during
Natural Regional Economic loss pregnancy. Undernourished infants lose their curiosity, motivation and
disaster FOOD Depopulation
War SHORTAGE Social conflict even the will to play. Millions leave school prematurely. Chronic hunger
Social also delays or stops the physical and mental growth of children.
disruption According to the FAO, every year that hunger continues at present levels
Population Entitlement
growth loss
costs five million children their lives.
Surplus
production In adult life, child hunger gnaws away at the productivity of entire
Resource
competition Resource countries’ workforces. Economists estimate hunger is responsible for
Hierarchical poverty reducing the GNP of some developing countries by 2-4%.
appropriation Excessive Household Impoverishment
Environmental tax/rent FOOD Family dispersal
fluctuation Entitlement Women
POVERTY Migration
exclusion & Women are the world's primary food producers, yet cultural traditions and
failure social structures often mean women are much more affected by hunger
Ethnic,
societal & and poverty than men. Seven out of 10 of the world’s hungry are women
religious and girls.
discrimination
While around 25% of men in developing countries suffer from anaemia
caused by an iron deficiency, 45% of women are affected. Lack of iron
Disease Individual Limited activity means 300 women die during childbirth every day. As a result, women,
Special needs FOOD Wasting/stunting
Neglect & abuse DEPRIVATION Disease & death
in particular, expectant and nursing mothers, often need special or
Gender & age increased intake of food.
Discrimination
Maternal stunting and underweight are also among the most prevalent
causes of giving birth to a low birth-weight child.

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Global hunger - an update Geo Factsheet

Case study 1: Hunger in the Lebanon Fig. 3 The Lebanon

Lebanon was subject to sustained, heavy shelling and air strikes since 12 July 2006, especially around 0 km 40
southern Lebanon, southern suburbs of Beirut and the Beqaa Valley (Fig. 3). A humanitarian crisis
escalated rapidly as people were cut off and deprived of their normal means of subsistence, with the Mediterranean LEBANON
widespread destruction of infrastructure, including residential areas, hospitals, schools, road network, Sea Bekaa Valley
water supplies, fuel storage, and food storage sites. Air strikes led to a halt in trade and movement of
goods, and rocketing prices as a result, making it impossible to secure essential supplies such as
Southern Beirut
medicine and food.
Lebanon
In response to the crisis, the UN launched an appeal requesting close to US$ 150 million to provide shelter,
food, water, sanitation and medicine to the 800,000 people worst affected by the conflict over the next three SYRIA
months. The WFP approved a preparedness Emergency Operation to allow for an initial team to be Naqoura Golan
deployed to Beirut to assess the emergency food needs and logistics requirements. The initial assessment Heights
Haifa
estimated 260,000 people in Lebanon, and another 50,000 Lebanese refugees in Syria, to be in need of food
aid support for three months.
ISRAEL

The regional Emergency Operation aimed to provide 10,605 tons of food to 260,000 people displaced
within Lebanon, and 50,000 Lebanese seeking refuge in Syria. Due to the deteriorating situation, the WFP Tel Aviv
planned to expand the Emergency Operation to reach 500,000 internally displaced persons in Lebanon. JORDAN
Jerusalem

Case study 2: West Africa Fig. 4 Hunger in West Africa

400km
Mali LIBYA
ALGERIA
In 2004 drought scorched the southern edge of the Sahara desert
before locusts burst out of the oases around Kidal in Mali, settling on MALI
cereal crops there and nearby in Niger (Fig. 4). As a result of a meagre NIGER
harvest, the cost of millet rose by 30%, sorghum by 50% and maize MAURITANIA Timbuktu Kidal
60%. As a result up to 4m in the two countries risked starvation. Tahoua
Gourma
Ouallam Zinder
The damage locusts did to the scrub grasses was devastating. SENEGAL Maradi
Bamako
Hundreds of herdsmen and tens of thousands of cattle died. Survivors BURKINA Niamey
in Mali, whose population is 11m, gathered in unusually large GUINEA FASO
numbers in the Gourma region, east of Timbuktu, raising tensions
there and overgrazing the land. Mali’s 1.7m nomads, already among BENIN
SIERRA COTE
the poorest in the world, were particularly hard hit. They used to trade NIGERIA
LEONE D'IVOIRE GHANA
a goat for a sack of millet, which now costs four goats.
LIBERIA TOGO
Mali's is one of the poorest countries in the world and getting poorer.
Mali is still paying interest on its debts. Mali is landlocked and is badly
affected by the high price of oil and the low price of cotton, its main Even where there was food, it was often too expensive. Though food
export. Transport costs have risen by 15%; civil war in Côte d’Ivoire was imported to compensate for the damage to the harvest, caused by
has further raised costs since it has blocked off the route to Abidjan, the drought and the invasion of locusts, prices rose because of hoarding.
usual port for Malian trade. Road and rail links west to Dakar, in Many nomadic herdsmen and subsistence farmers lost their animals,
Senegal, are poor, so Mali's lorry drivers face a round trip of 2,000km and thus the ability to sell their assets to buy food (Sen’s entitlement
or more through Benin or Togo to get any goods on to the world market. theory), let alone survive another period of possible drought. Others
became too weak to till their plots, reducing their chances of surviving.
Niger
The severe food shortages in Niger eased slightly after the first Food shortages affected other areas in the region. According to
distributions of food aid by international agencies. However, aid Oxfam, 2.2m people have suffered food shortages in Mali, 700,000 in
action only intensified after the country’s plight was brought to Mauritania and about 500,000 in Burkina Faso. But the problem was
international attention in mid-July. Neverthetheless, thousands of contained. This may reflect the fact that other governments in the
households continued to starve in the provinces of Maradi, Zinder and region were quicker to alert international donors to the impending
Tahoua (Fig. 5). Statistics released by Médecins Sans Frontières, the food shortages after the harvest failure than Niger’s.
main NGO in the area, showed that 15 children were dying every week
in Maradi. There were also geographical difficulties in getting food to Niger’s government was accused of trying to cover up the extent of the
the worst affected areas remain. Niger is a landlocked country, and food shortages in order to save face. It was reportedly slow top
most food aid has to be imported by bad road hundreds of kilometres distribute free food, and did little to encourage the substitution of
from the ports of neighbouring Benin, Togo and Nigeria. And then only failing local crops such as millet, sorghum and beans with other easily
a few big cities and towns in Niger itself are connected by paved accessible crops such as potatoes and yams. These are the longer-term
roads; 85% of the people live in remote rural areas. problems that the government needs to address.

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Global hunger - an update Geo Factsheet

Case study 3: The Horn of Africa

More than 20 million people (in the Horn of Africa) are at risk of famine. The 2005 drought heightened tensions. Some tribes in the borderlands
Millions of people in Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and the bought guns and ammunition in preparation for battles they expect,
Tanzania (Fig. 5) are at risk because of current drought. The drought is when the cattle will be strong enough, after the rains, to be marched
particularly acute in the badlands of northern Kenya, south-eastern off by raiders into enemy territory.
Ethiopia, and southern Somalia, with some 6m at risk of starvation.
Some experts believe that without outside intervention whole stretches
In early 2006 the UN and the Kenyan government made a joint appeal of the Horn will come to look as wretched as Darfur in Sudan, with
for food aid worth more than £126m to fight starvation in the country’s its people fighting over water, grazing, firewood and other scarce
arid north-east region, where the worst drought in 22 years decimated natural resources.
livestock. Nomadic herders who depended on cattle and camels for
their livelihoods were brought to the brink of disaster by the failure of There are a range of environmental problems. There are too many
five successive rainy seasons. In the worst-affected districts, one- third cattle for the capacity of the land but too few to sustain the
of people were receiving food aid. The areas hit hardest were in community. Drought is another problem. The Horn appears to be
northern, north-eastern and eastern Kenya. Malnutrition levels among drying up. This may or may not be a result of climate change, but
the under-fives were as high as 30%, double the level required to experts give warning that if the predicted increase of just 1-2ºC in
declare an emergency. The crisis has hit despite a surplus harvest in temperatures does come about the borderlands will become
western Kenya. Those in stricken areas cannot afford to buy food from unsustainable. Rainfall is even less predictable. The drought cycle
other regions, where farmers are more likely to export their food to has shrunk from once every eight years to once every three years,
neighbouring countries. according to the US Famine Early Warning System. That means no
recovery time for the cattle, for the land, for the people.
In Somalia the worst drought in more than a decade has left 2.1 million
people in urgent need of food aid. Somalia has been without an effective Moreover, the short-term solution, food aid, is not without problems.
government since the dictator was overthrown in 1991. As rival clan One aidworker described it like ‘crack’ - addictive and creating an
warlords fought to fill the vacuum the following year, hundreds of unhealthy dependency. Rough estimates of famine victims in the next
thousands of people died in a famine brought on by the fighting. Since few years range upwards from 10m.
then, years of conflict have seen the country sink to the bottom of the
development tables. Even before the current drought, child mortality The risk of whole areas of the Horn collapsing with famine and
and malnutrition rates were among the highest in the world. irreversible environmental damage, urged on by jihadist (Islamic
fundamentalism) and tribal clashes, is clear cause for alarm. One
Humanitarian action has kept the starving alive, but it has not enabled obvious step is to deter the cattle raiders by improving security in the
them to recover their lives. The trend is an ever increasing need for food arid borderlands.
aid plus ever less money from donors to pay for it. WFP says that the
number of Ethiopians on its books has doubled since the 1990s, in bad Fig 5 Hunger in the Horn of Africa.
years to as many as 10m. Some 1.7m hungry people are reliant on food
SAUDI ARABIA
aid in south Somalia - when the WFP can get it to them. And 3m people
in Kenya, mostly in the country’s arid north received aid in 2006. SUDAN
ERITREA
There are many interrelated causes of hunger. One is population YEMEN
growth. The Horn’s uncontrolled population growth appears
explosive. The borderlands have among the highest fertility rates in the ETHIOPIA
world, particularly so among the Somalis. Women in these areas are DJIBOUTI
likely to have six or seven children, against three in the cities. Over
half the population is aged 15 or under. There has been little progress SOMALIA
Addis
in family planning. In remote areas there is no provision for birth Ababa
control at all. A recent study by the Ethiopian government, which is
OGADEN
making tentative steps to reduce population growth, found that only ORAMIA Somali
3% of Somali women in Ethiopia had access to contraception, borderlands
compared with 45% of women in Addis Ababa.
INDIAN
Bajdoa
The Horn is among the most degraded ecosystems in the world, with OCEAN
only 5% of its original habitat remaining. According to Conservation UGANDA
KENYA
International, an NGO, the main culprits in the borderlands are Mogadishu
overgrazing and cutting down trees for fuel and charcoal. Nairobi

Conflict (increasingly armed) is another problem. Much of the region

is a no-go area. Hardly a day goes by without a cattle raid, a
TANZANIA
750km
retaliatory attack or a shoot-out over access to a watering hole or the
distribution of food aid.

Exam Hint: These case studies are all very recent. Always read a
newspaper or look out for articles in periodicals so you can have a
good global knowledge of recent events.

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Global hunger - an update Geo Factsheet

Case study 4: Myanmar (Burma) Fig. 6 The location of Myanmar and North Korea.
One third of Burmese children are chronically
malnourished or physically stunted and the military
junta is largely responsible for an escalating
humanitarian crisis, the head of the UN’s food agency
has claimed. In some border areas, home to repressed
NORTH
ethnic minorities, malnutrition rates exceed 60%. KOREA

Many of the problems stemmed from the tight control

the military regime exerts over the people. Agricultural
and marketing policies, and restrictions on the
movement of people, make it very difficult for many of CHINA
those at risk merely to subsist.
PACIFIC
The lack of political will to feed the population is also OCEAN
demonstrated by the government’s enthusiasm for
exporting food such as rice and seafood to China, India
INDIA
and Thailand (Fig. 6). The UN called for a radical
overhaul of food supply policies.
MYANMAR THAILAND
(BURMA)
Burma's severe and wide-ranging hunger issues cannot be
solved without fundamental changes that promote the
wellbeing of the population, which is the preserve of the
government. There is also a health spending crisis. Burma
spends less on health than any other country. In 1990 the
figure was about 1% of GDP. It is now about 0.3%. That INDIAN OCEAN
contrasts with about 50% being spent on the military.

Exam Question
Case Study 5: North Korea
With reference to a range of case studies (i.e. 3+) assess the role of
Fears of a fresh humanitarian crisis in North Korea were heightened
physical or socio-economic and political factors in causing hunger
by reports that flooding in August 2006 may have killed thousands
(define).
of people (Fig. 6). As many as 10,000 people may be dead or missing
and 1.5 million were forced to leave their homes after typhoon rains
Answer Guidelines
lashed the country on July 10. The North Korean government,
Read through the case studies and list the key factors using a pre-prepared
however, claimed that only 141 people were killed and 112 were
matrix.
missing. Isolated diplomatically by its recent missile test launches, it
has refused international offers of assistance.
Further reading
North Korea is a fiercely independent and militarist state, and has Sen, A 1981 Poverty and famine, Oxford
been reluctant to reveal signs of weakness to the outside world or
its own people. But without help, North Korea may struggle to cope Useful Websites
with the flood damage, which the government says has affected • www.wfp.org/english/ for the World Food Programme’s homepage
26,000 hectares (65,000 acres) of land, ruining 100,000 tonnes of
crops. Other organisations’ estimates of the economic damage are • www.wfp.org/country_brief/indexcountry.asp?country=104
four times higher. Many observers fear a repeat of the famines of for WFP’s Myanmar project
the 1990s, which were caused by flood damage to crops and
worsened by North Korea’s reluctance to accept international • HungerWeb www.brown.edu/Departments/World_Hunger_Program
support and monitoring.
• The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2003, Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) www.fao.org

Conclusion
Hunger is a widespread and complex phenomenon. Its causes are a
mixture of social, political, economic, and environmental factors which
Acknowledgements
vary spatially and temporally. As such it is a geographic feature which This Factsheet was researched by Garrett Nagle, a well-known author.
needs to be investigated in a way which takes into account the unique Curriculum Press, Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. Tel. 01952 271318.
features of each case as well as the more general forces which generate Geopress Factsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students, provided that
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understanding of its causes there is little hope of remedy. ISSN 1351-5136