The situation has been steadily deteriorating for two years, despite repeated warnings. The lives of millions of people are at stake without urgent attention. More people will become displaced, more will go hungry and more will die of hunger and thirst. A famine is declared when a certain set of conditions have been met. This criteria includes at least 30% of a given area’s children suffering from severe malnutrition. That means that, by the time a famine is declared, children are already starting to die because their parents cannot give them enough food to survive. It’s already too late.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Persia was ruled by the Qajar dynasty, which suffered from weak central authority, corruption, and limited administrative capacity. The country was strategically important due to its location between British-controlled India, Russian territories, and the Ottoman Empire. As a result, foreign powers routinely interfered in Persian affairs. When World War I broke out in 1914, Persia declared neutrality. However, this neutrality was not respected. British, Russian, and Ottoman troops entered and occupied different regions of the country.
