Summary Of Peter Singer's Unfolding Famine

Peter Singer’s essay was written in 1972. It has been 45 years, and yet famines are still an unfortunate reality. In fact, we are currently witnessing another mass-starvation event in South Sudan, where, according to the U.N., “the greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945 is unfolding.” (CITE). And there are warnings of imminent famines in Yemen and Nigeria. Singer’s unwavering belief that our moral consciousness would save humanity obviously did not work out. EDIT. However, Singer does briefly entertain the idea that merely ending famines, once they have killed many, is not sustainable. “If we save the Bengal refugees now, others, perhaps the children of these refugees, will face starvation in a few years time” (CITE). He suggests that introducing population control methods-- like contraceptives and abortion options-- can prevent future famines. However, Singer goes on to write that, since population control methods will not immediately reduce current levels of starvation, they are
Oftentimes, these famines are caused by civil wars, government policies, and overpopulation. One example is the 1970s Bengal famine that Singer mentions. It was primarily caused by a civil war, government mismanagement of foodgrain stocks, and unfair legislation. And the current famine in South Sudan was also caused by a civil war. Additionally, many countries go through famines multiple times-- just giving cash and food assistance will not fix the issue forever. For example, the nation of Bengal went through a famine in 1943 as well. Sudan has also previously gone through multiple periods of starvation in the 20th and 21st century. In conclusion, the best way to prevent famines, and have a better impact on humanity, is to promote population control methods and modernize the citizens of suffering