section_path: Definitions
section_name: Definitions
paragraph_text: Definitions
  
  According to the United Nations World Food Programme, famine is declared when malnutrition is widespread, and when people have started dying of starvation through lack of access to sufficient, nutritious food. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification criteria define Phase 5 famine of acute food insecurity as occurring when all three of the following situations exist at the same time:
  
  The declaration of a famine carries no binding obligations on the UN or member states, but serves to focus global attention on the problem.