--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Famines are political. We all know that…" description: "\"Famines are political. We all know that the immediate response to a famine must be food, aid, and shelter, but we should also look hard at what else ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg" --- # Famines are political. We all know that the immediate… ![“Famines are political. We all know that the immediate response to a famine must be food, aid, and shelter, but we should also look hard at what else can be done earlier on. It is not the lack of food but the fact that some people cannot get access to the food that causes the famine.” quote by Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg) > “Famines are political. We all know that the immediate response to a famine must be food, aid, and shelter, but we should also look hard at what else can be done earlier on. It is not the lack of food but the fact that some people cannot get access to the food that causes the famine.” [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Famine arises from political choices that block food distribution, not merely from food scarcity; early interventions must address systemic barriers. **In simple terms:** Political obstruction causes famine. Key Takeaway Access, than supply, drives famine. Themes politics food security inequality policy humanitarian aid Mood concerned urgent critical Type analytical policy humanitarian When to use this quote - government policy planning - NGNG planning - market planning - - design Key Concepts distribution governance vulnerability Practical Applications - policy reform - early warning systems Questions to Reflect On - How can we detect political barriers before famine strikes? - What policies can ensure equitable food access? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Causes Famine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes-famine-698930/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Famine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famine/) [Famines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famines-258553/) [Famines Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/famines-political-698931/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/look/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Response Famine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response-famine-698929/) ## Related quotes > [The experience of Somalia shows that famine in the late 20th century is not a consequence of a shortage of food. On the contrary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-chossudovsky/the-experience-of-somalia-shows-that-famine-in-the-late-20th-century/) [Michel Chossudovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-chossudovsky/) > [People talk about doom-laden scenarios happening in the future: they are happening in Africa now. You can see it perfectly clearly. Periodic famines are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/people-talk-about-doom-laden-scenarios-happening-in-the-future-they/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [ One of the great famines in human history took place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. \[At the same time\] Western journalists were reporting how… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/one-of-the-great-famines-in-human-history-took-place-during-the/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [Every one knew he could foretell wars and famines, though that was not so hard, for there was always a war, and generally a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/every-one-knew-he-could-foretell-wars-and-famines-though-that-was-not/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [You can’t prevent undernourishment so easily, but famines you can stop with half an effort. Then the question was why don’t the governments stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/you-can-t-prevent-undernourishment-so-easily-but-famines-you-can-stop/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [“The New Testament speaks of “a great famine all over the world” that took place in the reign of emperor Claudius (Acts 11:27-29). Josephus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-godawa/the-new-testament-speaks-of-a-great-famine-all-over-the-world-that/) [Brian Godawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-godawa/) > [I attempted to see famines as broad "economic" problems (concentrating on how people can buy food, or otherwise get entitled to it), rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/i-attempted-to-see-famines-as-broad-economic-problems-concentrating/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We traditionally in this world didn't have enough calories to feed all of us and had huge famines, not just in Africa, but had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-enriquez/we-traditionally-in-this-world-didn-t-have-enough-calories-to-feed/) [Juan Enriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-enriquez/) > [Famines are easy to prevent if there is a serious effort to do so, and a democratic government, facing elections and criticisms from opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/famines-are-easy-to-prevent-if-there-is-a-serious-effort-to-do-so-and/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [But I felt certain that if the world would stop indulging wars and famines and other perils, it would be possible for human beings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/but-i-felt-certain-that-if-the-world-would-stop-indulging-wars-and/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Famines are not natural disasters. Famines are man-made. Droughts happen from time to time. But in this century, for any drought to metastasize into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/famines-are-not-natural-disasters-famines-are-man-made-droughts/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [If the government is vulnerable to public opinion, then famines are a dreadfully bad thing to have. You can’t win many elections after a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/if-the-government-is-vulnerable-to-public-opinion-then-famines-are-a/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [The redundant population, necessarily occasioned by the prevalence of early marriages, must be repressed by occasional famines, and by the custom of exposing children,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/the-redundant-population-necessarily-occasioned-by-the-prevalence-of/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [After The Bomb we developed a fairly good system for moving food around and have avoided the kind of massive famines that attract the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/after-the-bomb-we-developed-a-fairly-good-system-for-moving-food/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [Famines occur under a colonial administration, like the British Raj in India or for that matter in Ireland, or under military dictators in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/famines-occur-under-a-colonial-administration-like-the-british-raj-in/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) ## More by Amber Rudd > [Britain has united to send a strong message to anyone who seeks to peddle hate. Together we are stronger. Together we can beat hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/britain-has-united-to-send-a-strong-message-to-anyone-who-seeks-to/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [For my part, let me be clear: protecting those in society most at risk of harm, those crushed at the bottom of the heap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/for-my-part-let-me-be-clear-protecting-those-in-society-most-at-risk/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [A lot of unemployed families were moved to Hastings, and places were built for them. They're communities of unemployed people. It's been difficult dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/a-lot-of-unemployed-families-were-moved-to-hastings-and-places-were/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [To secure our future prosperity, we must do all that we can to make sure that Britain remains one of the safest and cleanest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/to-secure-our-future-prosperity-we-must-do-all-that-we-can-to-make/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [I'm committed to working with business, both large and small, to make sure we don't impose unnecessary burdens or create damaging labour shortages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/i-m-committed-to-working-with-business-both-large-and-small-to-make/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [We can't treat issues as taboo because we find them unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/we-can-t-treat-issues-as-taboo-because-we-find-them-unpleasant/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [Stalking can have devastating consequences, and I am determined that we do all we can to protect victims from these prolonged and terrifying campaigns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/stalking-can-have-devastating-consequences-and-i-am-determined-that/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [People with disabilities and health conditions have enough challenges in life. Dealing with my department should not be one of them. So my ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/people-with-disabilities-and-health-conditions-have-enough-challenges/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [I see no difference between a violent Islamist and a far-Right terrorist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/i-see-no-difference-between-a-violent-islamist-and-a-far-right/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [Sometimes a politician gets up and talks about British values and what we think that means, and we can be knocked down quite harshly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/sometimes-a-politician-gets-up-and-talks-about-british-values-and/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [Taking action at an early stage - even before a prosecution may be possible - could stop stalkers becoming fixated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/taking-action-at-an-early-stage-even-before-a-prosecution-may-be/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [Bringing up children on my own was quite a busy time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/bringing-up-children-on-my-own-was-quite-a-busy-time/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [The U.K. government has been clear that it wants to use the opportunity of leaving the E.U. to design a future immigration system that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/the-u-k-government-has-been-clear-that-it-wants-to-use-the/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [Protecting children at risk of exploitation will always be a priority, and at the other end, safeguarding an ageing population brings its own challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/protecting-children-at-risk-of-exploitation-will-always-be-a-priority/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) > [The important thing is that government gives the security services the tools that are necessary to keep us safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/the-important-thing-is-that-government-gives-the-security-services/) [Amber Rudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) [Explore all 97 Amber Rudd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/) ## More Done quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) [Browse all 25,653 Done quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Famines are political. We all know that the immediate response to a famine must be food, aid, and shelter, but we should also look hard at what else can be done earlier on. It is not the lack of food but the fact that some people cannot get access to the food that causes the famine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amber Rudd" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-the-immediate-response-to-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Done" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-the-immediate-response-to-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee8/amber-rudd-6779_done_famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-t_48425.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Famines are political. We all know that the immediate response to a famine must be food, aid, and shelter…” — Amber Rudd", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amber Rudd", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rudd/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Famines are political. We all know...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-the-immediate-response-to-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rudd/famines-are-political-we-all-know-that-the-immediate-response-to-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```