A famine is a widespread scarcity of foodcaused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every inhabited continent in the world has experienced a period of famine throughout history. During the 19th and 20th century, Southeast and South Asia, as well as Eastern and Central Europe, suffered the greatest number of fatalities. Deaths caused by famine declined sharply beginning in the 1970s, with numbers falling further since 2000. Since 2010, Africa has been the most affected continent in the world by famine.
A woman, man, and child, all dead from starvation during the Russian famine of 1921–1922
Skibbereen, Ireland during the Great Famine, 1847 illustration by James Mahony for the Illustrated London News
People waiting for famine relief in Bangalore, India (from the Illustrated London News, 1877)
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an 1887 painting by Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov. Depicted from left to right are Death, Famine, War, and Conquest.
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces. Warfare refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars in general. Total war is warfare that is not restricted to purely legitimate military targets, and can result in massive civilian or other non-combatant suffering and casualties.
Mural of War (1896), by Gari Melchers
The Egyptian siege of Dapur in the 13th century BCE, from Ramesseum, Thebes.
Japanese samurai attacking a Mongol ship, 13th century
Finnish soldiers during the Winter War.
