An ongoing drought in Niger has resulted in a famine that
threatens millions of people.
"These are very high levels of child malnutrition, the situation is bad," said Gianluca Ferrera, deputy director for the UN world food programme (WFP) in Niger. "The loss in harvest last year was worse than expected, and the lean season started earlier than anticipated for a larger share of the population. "In some areas, there is a 50% malnutrition rate for children under 2. Many of these children will not survive." [more inside]
posted by HP LaserJet P10006
on Aug 2, 2010 -
64 comments
Alexis Soyer lived quite an an amazing life. According to his
wiki, he "was a French chef who became the most celebrated cook in Victorian England" who also "during the Great Irish Famine in April 1847, ... invented the soup kitchen and was asked by the Government to go to Ireland to implement his idea. This was opened in Dublin and his "
famine soup" was served to thousands of the poor for free. Whilst in Ireland he wrote Soyer's Charitable Cookery. He gave the proceeds of the book to various charities. He also opened an art gallery in London, and donated the entrance fees to charity to feed the poor." And then there is also the remarkable story of
Soyer's Magic Stove.
posted by puny human
on Jul 30, 2010 -
16 comments
The winter of 1944–45 is known as the ‘Hunger Winter’ in The Netherlands, which was occupied by the Germans in May 1940. Beginning in September 1944, Allied troops had liberated most of the South of the country, but their advance towards the North came to a stop at the Waal and Rhine rivers and the battle of Arnhem. In support of the Allied war effort, the Dutch government in exile in London called for a national railway strike to hinder German military initiatives. In retaliation, in October 1944, the German authorities blocked all food supplies to the occupied West of the country.
Despite the war, nutrition in The Netherlands had generally been adequate up to October 1944. Thereafter, food supplies became increasingly scarce. By November 26, 1944, official rations, which eventually consisted of little more than bread and potatoes, had fallen below 1000 kcal per day, and by April 1945, they were as low as 500 kcal per day. Widespread starvation was seen especially in the cities of the western Netherlands. Food supplies were restored immediately after liberation on May 5, 1945.
But
for many, who weren't even born when it started, the
hongerwinter continues.
Why? In part because
"certain environmental conditions early in human development can result in persistent changes in epigenetic information" via
DNA methylation. Epigenetics seems like a little bit of
Lamarckism: environmental effects on a parent -- or even a grandparent -- can be passed to offspring,
even without permanent
changes to DNA. (
previously)
posted by orthogonality
on Sep 7, 2009 -
26 comments
In 1943, while the Allies were busy battling the Axis Powers and the Nazi Regime, there was
another kind of war that was being waged against a helpless populace (living on the Indian Sub-continent). A
war that has been largely ignored by the mass media and the history books of our time. It is known as the
Great Bengal Famine, and ended up causing the
death of an estimated
1.5 million to 4 million people.
posted by hadjiboy
on Aug 30, 2008 -
34 comments
Earth2100.tv is a
project by ABC (video preview) to solicit ideas from the public and experts about the dangers facing world in the next 100 years. "The world’s brightest minds agree that the “perfect storm” of population growth, resource depletion and climate change could converge with catastrophic results. We need you to bring this story to life."
posted by stbalbach
on Jun 13, 2008 -
25 comments
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the
Holodomor. The
Holodomor was the starvation of millions of Ukranians at the hands of the Soviets. The Ukranian government is using this year to push for greater recognition for the genocide. Ukranian communities in
Australia,
Canada and all over the globe are holding events all year in the lead up to this years Holodomor day on November 25.
posted by sien
on Mar 9, 2008 -
14 comments
With "freedom" as a goal of US policy, what are the real benefits of democracy? In the developing world, no democracy has
ever had a famine as Nobel-winner
Amartya Sen demonstrated, and citizens of democratic nations have
equivalent economies, longer lifespans and better educations than autocracies. Unfortunately, it appears that
democracies do go to war with each other (although
less, statistically). On the other hand, high levels of political freedom
decrease terrorism and prevent
genocides. Obviously, democracies
also do bad things, but is there a better form of
government?
posted by blahblahblah
on May 30, 2005 -
29 comments
