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Top-level
The geopolitics is of course complicated. It always is. But in the mean time, innocent people are starving. One thing I'm learning, spending time with people who have dedicated their careers to research on humanitarian crises, is that there's been a shift in how and when famines occur. 40 years ago, people talked about famines as a result of droughts. The famines we're having today are the direct result of warfare. 5 comments
I'm not sure what it is about these shifts that makes these situations hit harder. I imagine that part of it is that knowing that the people affected had a similar lifestyle to my own makes it more relatable. But also the fact that this is all about conflict means that this is all the result of human decisions. I guess that's applied to more famines in more remote areas as well. Perhaps better news coverage is another factor here. Meanwhile, I'm over here reading about starvation physiology. From the 1940s Minnesota Starvation study: Keys, A. (1948). CALORIC UNDERNUTRITION AND STARVATION, WITH NOTES ON PROTEIN DEFICIENCY. Journal of the American Medical Association, 138(7), 500. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1948.62900070006007 Another quote from Keys (1948): |
Gregory's Server
The notion of of famine as occurring in remote areas is being challenged. Cities are being hit now as well. Not just in Gaza, either. Urban populations have also been affected in South Sudan. I've heard that conditions in Haiti are worse than they've been in decades.
It's not *new* for urban areas to experience famine, but the last time this was at all common was during the World Wars.