Chinese famine of 1942-43

The Chinese famine of 1942–43 occurred mainly in Henan province, most particularly within the western part of the province. The famine occurred within the context of the Second Sino-Japanese War and resulted from a combination of natural and man-made factors. 2 to 3 million people died of starvation or disease and upwards of 4 million fled Henan.

Henan had previously suffered as a result of the war. Thousands of its young men had already been conscripted. In 1938 the Nationalist government flooded the Yellow River in an attempt to stop the advance of the Japanese. The flooding killed 500,000 to one million people in Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu. When Japanese troops did enter the area they caused much destruction, which contributed to causing the famine. By the time of the famine itself, Henan was divided, with the eastern half of the province under occupation by Japan and the western half part unoccupied and nominally under the authority of the Nationalist government based in Chongqing.

In 1942 the spring and summer rains failed, causing drought. In addition to this, locusts caused much damage to the existing harvest. The result was that the supply of grain in the affected areas was reduced greatly. This started to make itself felt by the winter of that year. Yet Chinese and Japanese authorities in the affected areas continued their grain requisition policies in order to feed their soldiers. Environmental historian Micah S. Muscolino also suggests that there is a link between the deliberate flooding of the Yellow River in 1938 and the 1942 famine as the flooding 'contributed to a total disruption of Henan's hydraulic and agricultural systems'.

The terrible conditions that the famine created were vividly described by journalist Theodore White in a special report written for Time magazine, published in March 1943. Cannibalism was rife and parents sold their children just to survive. Disease bred in these conditions, contributing greatly to the death toll. Relief efforts were organised by the government and Christian missionaries operating in the area.

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