Case Study: Famine (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Case Study: Famine in the Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is the region in East Africa
The famine began in this area in 2011, affecting Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia
It affected roughly 13 million people in the region
Roughly 250,000 people died in Somalia
50% of these were children under the age of five years old
As of 2023, another acute famine is predicted to arrive
IPC scale
The IPC scale (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) measures how severe a famine is
In 2011, parts of East Africa, e.g. Somalia, hit phase 5, a catastrophe
Other areas, like Kenya, hit phase 3+, where urgent action is required
Causes of the famine
Drought
Drought was one of the major culprits of the 2011 famine
The area experienced very low rainfall over several years, leading to extreme drought
This meant crop growth was impossible
INERT IMAGE HERE
Map of drought-affected areas in 2011 at the Horn of Africa
Conflict
Parts of the Horn of Africa were experiencing conflict, e.g. in Somalia
The Siad Barre regime was removed from power in 1991
Since then, there has been no leading government, causing conflict
For years, the country has been riddled with Civil War
Fighting caused damage to crops
The Al-Shabaab militant group began to rise to power
This group caused a blockade of food aid during the famine
Al-Shabaab controlled certain areas, where aid was not allowed in
Killed aid workers
Displaced people migrated to Kenya, as a result of the conflict
Poverty
The countries in the Horn of Africa were already suffering under extreme poverty
Farmers don’t have access to technologies which may increase productivity
High population rates and regular food shortages are a recipe for disaster
Food prices increased massively in 2011, like corn and maize
This was a result of decreased food supply globally
The land was used for the growth of biofuel instead of food e.g. US corn ethanol
Responses
The response to the crisis was incredibly slow, roughly 6 months
Some donors wanted to see evidence of the crisis, rather than trying to stop it from happening
Early warning systems detected the crisis in 2010
By 2011, malnutrition was high
Oxfam funding appeal:
Oxfam worked to bring people and emergency support to the area
Raised over $100 million
The UN World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported relief efforts
Funds from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) were funnelled into food aid and other vital areas e.g vaccination and sanitation
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