Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts?
Contents20
- AAngola and Zambia
- BMorocco and Tunisia
- CVenezuela and Colombia
- DYemen and South Sudan
Show answer
Answer: (D) Yemen and South Sudan
Correct Answer: (d) Yemen and South Sudan
Both Yemen and South Sudan have faced severe famine and acute malnutrition in recent years:
Yemen: Due to the ongoing civil war (since 2015), Yemen has been called the world's worst humanitarian crisis by the United Nations. Millions have depended on external food aid, and the country has also battled a massive cholera outbreak.
South Sudan: After gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan fell into civil war in 2013. This led to widespread famine, with the UN officially declaring famine in parts of the country in 2017.
Why the other options are wrong:
- Angola and Zambia — Not facing famine at this scale.
- Morocco and Tunisia — These are relatively stable North African countries.
- Venezuela and Colombia — Venezuela faced a severe economic crisis, but not famine at the scale of Yemen/South Sudan.
REMEMBER: Yemen + South Sudan = the two countries with the worst famine crises in recent years. Both are linked to civil wars.
Yemen and South Sudan represent the world's two worst humanitarian crises, with millions facing famine due to ongoing civil wars that began in 2015 and 2013 respectively.
The UN officially declared famine in parts of South Sudan in 2017, making it a major current affairs topic around the exam period.
UPSC is testing knowledge of contemporary global humanitarian crises, not just economic problems or political instability.
Yemen Civil War & Humanitarian Crisis
World Affairs (International Relations) Yemen
Yemen Civil War: World's Worst Humanitarian Crisis
Yemen Civil War started in 2015 — UN calls it world's worst humanitarian crisis
Saudi Arabia vs Iran proxy war — Saudis support government, Iran backs Houthis
Over 24 million people need humanitarian aid (80% of population)
Cholera outbreak — largest in modern history with over 1 million cases
Why Yemen Matters
Yemen represents the intersection of regional power rivalry and humanitarian disaster. The conflict has become a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, while millions face starvation.
Key Players & Positions
Side | Main Actor | External Support | Control Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
Government | Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi | Saudi Arabia, UAE, US support | Southern regions, Aden |
Rebels | Houthis (Ansar Allah) | Iran backing | Northern regions, capital Sanaa |
Separatists | Southern Transitional Council | UAE support | Parts of South Yemen |
Extremists | AQAP, ISIS | Independent operations | Remote areas |
Crisis Timeline
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`**2011 Arab Spring**
President **Ali Abdullah Saleh** forced to step down after protests`"]
s2["`**2015 Houthi Takeover**
**Houthis capture Sanaa**, force President Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia`"]
s3["`**March 2015 Saudi Intervention**
**Saudi-led coalition** launches airstrikes to restore Hadi government`"]
s4["`**2017 Famine Declaration**
UN warns of **famine**, calls it world's worst humanitarian crisis`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4Humanitarian Impact
377,000+ deaths since 2015 — most from hunger and disease, not direct violence
2.3 million children under 5 are acutely malnourished
Cholera epidemic — over 1 million suspected cases since 2016
4.3 million internally displaced — largest displacement crisis in Arab world
Economic collapse — currency devalued by 300%, inflation at 35%
Yemen Conflict Map
Source: Al Jazeera — Mapping who controls what in Yemen in 2026 | Maps News | Al Jazeera · www.aljazeera.com
Trap: Confusing Yemen with Syria — both have civil wars but Yemen's crisis is famine-focused
Trap: Thinking war started in 2011 — Arab Spring was 2011, but civil war began 2015
Trap: Assuming Iran directly intervenes — Iran provides weapons and training, not troops like Saudi Arabia
Remember: Yemen + South Sudan are the two countries with worst recent famine crises
South Sudan Civil War & Famine Crisis
World Affairs (International Relations) South Sudan
South Sudan: World's Newest Country, Worst Famine Crisis
World's newest country — independence from Sudan in July 2011
Civil war since 2013 between President Kiir and Vice President Machar
UN declared famine in 2017 — first time since 2011 Somalia famine
7 million people need humanitarian aid (60% of population)
From Hope to Crisis
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 after decades of war with Sudan, but collapsed into ethnic civil war within two years. The conflict destroyed agricultural production, creating Africa's worst famine since the 1980s.
Key Timeline & Players
Year | Event | Key Figures | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Independence from Sudan | Salva Kiir becomes President | World's newest country born |
2013 | Political crisis erupts | Riek Machar dismissed as VP | Ethnic Dinka vs Nuer conflict begins |
2013-2016 | First civil war phase | Kiir (Dinka) vs Machar (Nuer) | 50,000+ deaths, 2.5M displaced |
2017 | Famine declared | UN declares famine in Unity State | 100,000 people facing starvation |
2018 | Peace agreement | Revitalized peace deal signed | Fragile ceasefire continues |
Crisis Drivers
# South Sudan Crisis
## Ethnic Conflict
- **Dinka** majority (Kiir)
- **Nuer** minority (Machar)
- Historical cattle raids
- Colonial boundaries
## Economic Factors
- **Oil-dependent** economy
- **95% revenue** from oil
- Pipeline through **Sudan**
- Currency collapse
## Governance Issues
- **Weak institutions**
- **Corruption** in oil revenues
- **Military** dominates politics
- **Lack of development**
## External Factors
- **Sudan** relations
- **Uganda** military support
- **Regional** interference
- **Climate** shocksHumanitarian Catastrophe
400,000+ deaths since 2013 — mostly from hunger, disease, and violence
4.3 million displaced — largest refugee crisis in Africa after DRC
Famine conditions in Unity, Jonglei, and Upper Nile states in 2017
Child soldiers — estimated 17,000 children recruited by armed groups
Sexual violence used as weapon of war — UN reports mass rapes
South Sudan Location
Source: PBS — What's at the Crux of Sudan and South Sudan's Oil Dispute? | PBS News · www.pbs.org
Trap: Confusing South Sudan with Sudan — South Sudan is the newer, smaller country with famine
Trap: Wrong independence date — South Sudan independent in 2011, not during Arab Spring wave
Trap: Mixing up leaders — Salva Kiir (President, Dinka) vs Riek Machar (former VP, Nuer)
Remember: Yemen + South Sudan are the two countries with recent severe famine from conflict
Conflict-Induced Famine: Global Patterns
World Affairs (International Relations) famine acute malnutrition starvation war ethnic conflicts
War-Induced Famine: How Conflict Creates Starvation
Modern famines are primarily man-made — caused by conflict, not natural disasters
Yemen and South Sudan represent worst conflict-famine crises since 2015
UN famine classification — Phase 5 is most severe (starvation, death, destitution)
Over 140 million people worldwide face acute food insecurity from conflict
War as Famine Driver
Modern famines rarely result from crop failures alone. Armed conflict disrupts food production, destroys markets, displaces farmers, and blocks humanitarian access — creating man-made starvation as seen in Yemen and South Sudan.
How Conflict Creates Famine
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`**Armed Conflict Erupts**
Civil war or ethnic violence begins — farmers flee fields`"]
s2["`**Agricultural Collapse**
**Crop production falls**, livestock killed, irrigation destroyed`"]
s3["`**Market Disruption**
**Supply chains broken**, food prices spike, currency collapses`"]
s4["`**Humanitarian Access Blocked**
**Aid deliveries prevented** by fighting, checkpoints, insecurity`"]
s5["`**Mass Displacement**
**Population flees** to camps, urban areas, neighboring countries`"]
s6["`**Famine Declaration**
**UN declares emergency** when deaths exceed 2 per 10,000 daily`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4
s4 --> s5
s5 --> s6Recent Conflict-Famine Crises
Country | Conflict Period | Famine Peak | Key Causes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Yemen | 2015-ongoing | 2017-2018 | Saudi-Houthi war, blockade | 377,000+ |
South Sudan | 2013-ongoing | 2017 | Ethnic civil war, oil collapse | 400,000+ |
Somalia | 1991-ongoing | 2011, 2017 | Al-Shabaab conflict, drought | 260,000+ |
Syria | 2011-ongoing | 2013-2016 | Civil war, siege warfare | 500,000+ |
DRC (East) | 1998-ongoing | 2017-2018 | Militia conflicts, displacement | 5.4M+ |
UN Famine Classification
Phase 1-2: Food secure to moderately insecure — normal to stressed conditions
Phase 3: Acute food crisis — malnutrition rises, people sell assets to buy food
Phase 4: Humanitarian emergency — large gaps in food consumption, acute malnutrition
Phase 5: Famine/catastrophe — starvation, death, destitution evident despite emergency aid
Famine declared when 20% of population lacks food, 30% children malnourished, 2+ deaths per 10,000 daily
Trap: Assuming famine = natural disaster — most modern famines are conflict-driven
Trap: Confusing drought with famine — drought is trigger, conflict prevents response
Trap: Thinking Venezuela belongs — economic crisis, not famine at Yemen/South Sudan scale
Key pattern: Civil war + external intervention = worst famine crises (Yemen, South Sudan)
Why Other Options Are Wrong
World Affairs (International Relations) Angola Zambia Morocco Tunisia Venezuela Colombia
Eliminating Wrong Options: Regional Stability Analysis
Angola & Zambia — Southern Africa, relatively stable, no major famine recently
Morocco & Tunisia — North Africa, stable democracies, food secure
Venezuela & Colombia — Economic crisis in Venezuela, but not famine-scale like Yemen
Options Comparison
Option | Region | Recent Status | Why Wrong | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Angola & Zambia | Southern Africa | Post-conflict recovery | No mass famine reported | Economic challenges, not starvation |
Morocco & Tunisia | North Africa | Stable democracies | Food secure countries | Arab Spring survivors, relatively stable |
Venezuela & Colombia | South America | Economic crisis | Economic collapse ≠ famine | Hyperinflation, migration, not war-famine |
Yemen & South Sudan | Middle East/Africa | Active civil wars | ✓ Correct answer | War-induced famine, millions affected |
Key Distinctions
Angola: Post-civil war (ended 2002), oil economy recovering, no recent famine crisis
Zambia: Copper-dependent economy, food insecurity issues but not famine-scale crisis
Morocco: Stable monarchy, agricultural economy, weathered Arab Spring without collapse
Tunisia: Arab Spring birthplace but democratic transition successful, no famine
Venezuela: Severe economic crisis with hyperinflation, but not war-induced famine like Yemen
Trap: Confusing economic crisis (Venezuela) with war-famine (Yemen/South Sudan)
Trap: Assuming Arab Spring countries = unstable — Morocco & Tunisia are relatively stable
Trap: Mixing up African regions — Southern Africa (Angola/Zambia) vs East Africa (South Sudan)
Remember: Look for active conflict + humanitarian crisis combination, not just economic problems