The 10 Deadliest Famines in History

Top 10 major famines in history along with the years they occurred:

1. The Great Famine of 1315-1317 (Europe):

This famine was caused by excessive rainfall that ruined crops, leading to widespread food shortages and death across Europe.

2. The Famine of 1696-1697 (Russia):

A severe famine in Russia caused by poor harvests, crop failures, and cold weather led to the death of many people.

3. The Bengal Famine of 1943 (British India):

This famine was caused by a combination of wartime policies, rice shortages, and cyclones. It resulted in the deaths of around 3 million people.

4. The Famine of 1876-1878 (China):This famine was the result of floods and crop failures in China, causing millions of deaths due to food scarcity.

5. The Holodomor Famine of 1932-1933 (Soviet Ukraine):The Holodomor was a man-made famine caused by Soviet policies under Joseph Stalin, which led to the death of millions of Ukrainians.

6. The Ethiopian Famine of 1983-1985 (Ethiopia):

A combination of drought, political instability, and failed crops led to a severe famine in Ethiopia that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.

7. The Great Irish Famine of 1845-1852 (Ireland):

This famine, also known as the Potato Famine, was caused by a potato blight that devastated the country’s main food source, leading to over a million deaths and emigration.

8. The 1973 Somali Famine (Somalia):

A severe drought and food shortages, coupled with political instability, led to widespread famine in Somalia, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

9. The 2005-2006 Niger Famine (Niger):

A combination of poor harvests, locust invasions, and food insecurity in Niger resulted in a famine that affected millions of people.

10. The 1998 North Korean Famine (North Korea):

A combination of floods, drought, economic mismanagement, and food shortages led to a famine in North Korea, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths.These famines had devastating impacts on the affected populations, leading to significant loss of life and widespread suffering.