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There are even deeper aspects to the starvation in other countries (and believe it or not, in this country). Many of the countries in Africa used to have sufficient food for all of their population and then some- they were exporting small quantities of food elsewhere or trading it.

"The White Man" (Europeans and Americans) came in there and started encouraging (read forcing) people to go to the for-profit market system rather than subsistence farming (which is best described as "What they need plus more for trading"). Every time this happens, the top .5 to 1 % of the people become rich, the rest go downhill- and many people start starving.

We'd have starvation in the US if it wasn't for food stamps, food kitchens and "pantries", and public assistance programs- the very things that the Dominionists and other like ilk are trying to eliminate (or use to try to starve people into the church). People don't realize it, but hunger is a fast growing and major problem in this country- not everyone can afford to buy food, much less afford to have a decent diet (IT IS EXPENSIVE!) That is why you see poor people who are fat- the reality is that their diet is the cheapest possible- and that diet, high in carbohydrates and starches, is NOT conducive to good health while directly causing obesity and poor health.

It used to be that starvation was tied to crop failure/drought/flood/ etc. It doesn't have to be that way any more and didn't have to be for many years now. In every place where you find starvation, you'll find very rich people who are doing disgusting things like conspicuous consumption, right in the face of the people who are starving (I can think of a couple of countries where their army has plenty of food, fancy weapons, and the rich live like kings- while the rest... well, you've seen it). In other words, in most cases starvation and suffering can be laid at the feet of the rich. Think Sudan and the Janjaweed.

And the few cases that are actually caused by "nature"- they could be remedied by food from elsewhere- IF people wouldn't try to always make a profit off of charity or use the aid for political purposes.

There are a few other causes of hunger and starvation (and suffering) that I can think of- all caused by humans (such as the forced introduction of crops that aren't adapted for the place they are introduced). It irks me when they claim the suffering of those poor people are due to "sin" or other such rot. It's usually the fault of the people the Pentecostals/Dominionists/Fundamentalists ADMIRE!