Famines still occur today in different parts of the world. Ethiopia and Somalia have endured some of the worst famines in modern history.
Faced with no other source of food the people had to rely on help from the Government and charities. As with the Irish famine, charities such as Trocáire and Oxfam use donations to provide help for famine victims.
The more rural and remote areas of Ireland were worst affected. Lots of people left their homes and went to larger towns in search of food, leaving many villages completely deserted.
Starving families were often seen scrambling over fields in search of food. As most of the land was owned by landlords, hunting and fishing were forbidden.
There are still examples of Famine graveyards in different parts of Northern Ireland. At the height of the famine, victims were buried in large groups in famine pits.
During the famine lots of people died or emigrated. The number of Belfast
inhabitants increased as people came to the cities from their villages in search of food.
