Diagnosis of famine: a discursive contribution

Area of Science:

• Disaster studies
• Humanitarian affairs
• Socioeconomic analysis

Background:

• Famine diagnosis currently uses multiple indicators for triangulation.
• There is a need for more refined analysis, particularly incorporating the aspect of change over time.
• Existing methods may not fully capture the nuances of famine reporting and its drivers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a new discursive dimension for famine diagnosis.
• To develop and apply novel discursive famine indices.
• To analyze socioeconomic determinants of famine reporting.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)'s ReliefWeb database for report analysis.
• Developing discursive famine indices based on the frequency of famine-related reports.
• Applying these indices to identify famine occurrences and analyze determinants in specific case studies.

Main Results:

• The study successfully identified famines in Ethiopia (2000), Malawi (2002), and Somalia (2011) using the new indices.
• Income (poverty) and state fragility were identified as significant determinants of cross-country variations in famine reporting.
• Political regimes did not demonstrate an independent effect on famine reporting.

Conclusions:

• The proposed discursive dimension enhances famine diagnosis by incorporating change and report volume.
• Discursive famine indices offer a robust tool for identifying famines and understanding their socioeconomic drivers.
• The findings underscore the critical roles of poverty and state fragility in famine vulnerability.