Over the past 15 years, the re-emergence of famine and near-famine events has challenged the notion that famine could soon be eradicated.

Factors such as conflict, climate change, and economic instability contribute to the rising frequency and severity of crises, including those in Somalia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen, Sudan, and Gaza.

In a new paper published in Disasters, Feinstein researchers Paul Howe, Merry Fitzpatrick, and Daniel Maxwell assess the current state of the art in famine prevention.

Based on their findings, they propose a five-level framework for famine prevention, integrating both technical and political approaches.

The authors suggest that adopting a comprehensive approach that engages all five levels simultaneously could offer a pathway to famine prevention amid growing global challenges.

The open-access paper is part of a special issue of Disasters available later in November, “Famine and food security: new trends and systems or politics as usual?”