Famine represents a prolonged period of food scarcity in a region, driven by multiple factors. Let's unpack these factors with the help of real-world examples and historical incidents.

Length and Severity of Drought: The longer and harsher the drought, the higher the famine impact. Think of California's droughts causing crop failures and impacting the food supply.

Governance: Poor governance can increase the risk of food scarcity. An example is North Korea, where political decisions led to widespread famine in the late 90s.

Power of Media: The media can raise awareness about famine and mobilize resources for relief. Remember the global response to the 1983-85 Ethiopia famine after it gained media attention?

Access to International Aid: Countries receiving ample aid, like South Sudan, can alleviate some famine effects.

Population Growth: An increased population, particularly due to refugees and IDPs, can worsen famine. The Syrian refugee crisis adds pressure to host countries' food supplies.

Unemployment and Food Entitlement: Those unable to afford food are as vulnerable to famine as those unable to grow it. Consider impoverished families in the USA relying on food banks during the 2008 financial crisis.

Civil Unrest and War: These disrupt food production and supply, thereby escalating famine. An example is the Yemen conflict disrupting food supply chains, leading to a humanitarian crisis.

Access to Land and Food Production: Land accessibility and its productive use can impact famine severity.

Short-term solutions like emergency aid can help mitigate famine effects. However, long-term plans are crucial to avoid recurring crises. Empowering the poor to build productive assets, like water-harvesting tanks, dams, and irrigation projects can go a long way in food security. Limiting foreign corporations' crop exportation also aids in maintaining local food supplies.

Ethiopia, plagued by famines since the 16th century, provides us an insight into famine's causes and effects. The famines of 1973 and 1983-85 devastated the population and were worsened by factors like poor governance, state neglect, and "land grabs" for industrial farming by international corporations. A large refugee population also strained resources.

In contrast, the government's response to the 2015 drought displayed better preparedness with established social security nets, emergency funds, and international aid. However, the severity of the drought caused by El Niño, media coverage overshadowed by other global crises, and a funding shortfall still resulted in significant famine impacts.