The Persian famine of 1917–1918 caused deaths by starvation, and cholera, of as much as one quarter of the population living in the north of homeland. Although the research of Mohammad Gholi Majd alleges as many as 8–10 million died, across the whole nation, based on an alternate pre-famine Persian population estimate of 19 million, and diplomatic cables.
The Qajar government lacked the power and resources to coordinate relief efforts or control food distribution effectively. The human toll of the famine was immense. Although precise numbers are difficult to determine, historians estimate that between 2 and 10 million people died from starvation and famine-related diseases such as cholera, typhus, and influenza. At the time, Persia’s population was around 20 million, meaning that up to one-quarter of the population may have perished.
