Decade: 1910s

Photograph shows a poor, widowed Armenian woman and her children, Makarid (on her back) and Nuvart (standing next to her).

Armenian Genocide

The Ottomans murdered Armenian men and forced survivors and children to march into the Syrian desert. About 1.1 million perished.

The daily sheep kill at Bijar. A small party of starving men and women fighting for the entrails. 1914-1918. Source: Australian War Memorial.

Persian Famine

The British occupied Persian lands during WWI, confiscating food, pack animals, breaking supply chains, spreading disease. Between 2 and 8 million Persians died. In 1918 the U.S. refused a $2 million famine relief loan.