Question 66 from UPSC CSE 2023 - Internatio nal Relations

Question

Which one of the following countries has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in the news in the recent past for its very severe famine?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. Somalia

Strategy: Focus on identifying the country that has experienced both prolonged civil conflict and internationally reported famine. Among the given options, Angola, Costa Rica, and Ecuador have not faced severe, ongoing famine in recent years, nor the same sustained civil strife as Somalia. Somalia stands out due to recurring headlines about extreme famine and conflict, confirming it as the answer.

Key Info: Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, has faced decades of civil war, political instability, and the absence of strong central governance since the early 1990s. These conditions have led to continuous humanitarian crises, widespread displacement, and persistent food insecurity. The country's infrastructure and agricultural systems have been severely compromised by conflict, drought, and locust infestations.

In recent years, Somalia has suffered consecutive failed rainy seasons--resulting in the most severe drought in the Horn of Africa in over four decades--dramatically worsening food shortages. Famine conditions, notably in 2011 and threats in subsequent years, are compounded by mass displacement and limited humanitarian access in conflict-affected regions. The United Nations and other agencies cite millions of Somalis facing acute hunger and malnutrition.

In contrast, Angola, though affected by civil conflict in the past, has stabilized. Costa Rica and Ecuador have not experienced large-scale famine or comparable civil strife in the contemporary period.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Angola

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Costa Rica

IASCODEX · Answer

Option C: Ecuador