Technology and Costs (I) (L1)

Thomas Malthus studied extensively the historical links between wages (income), population dynamics, food security and agricultural productivity at a time where poverty was rife and famine was a common occurrence. Consider the country of Yemen, which has been in civil war since late 2014 to present. For a starter, see:

McCarthy, Joe (2021) "Yemen Is Facing the World's Worst Famine in Decades This Year: UN", Global Citizen, March 1st, available: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/yemen-worst-famine-in-decades/

This is a confronting topic, yet important for students studying second-year microeconomics at Curtin to analyse and be heavy-burdened by the inequality plight of others.

A case in point is Yasser Ahmed, a 20-year-old Yemeni undergrad student:

Victor, Jack (2021) "I am a young person growing up in Yemen's civil war. This is my story.", Varsity, February 26th, available: https://www.varsity.co.uk/interviews/20675

The war in Yemen is complicated. For an overview of the 'forgotten war' in Yemen, read/watch:

BBC News (2020) "Yemen crisis: Why is there a war?" BBC News, June 19th, available:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29319423

QUESTION

Do some extra research on the topic to gain more understanding of the key issues at stake, preparing your mind for applying Malthus' theory. For instance, see this contribution:

Waal, Alex de (2019) "Monuments to Famine", London Review of Books, March, Vol. 41 (5), available:

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v41/n05/alex-de-waal/monuments-to-famine

Using Malthus' model, illustrate using appropriate diagrams and explain in some detail the effects of the recent civil war in Yemen (2014 to present, and beyond). Think carefully about the adequacy of an international humanitarian response (e.g. funded aid operations) and the likelihood of an ongoing active conflict. Make explicit your assumptionsregarding wage (income) and population changes over timewith justification. Comment on the explanatory power of Malthus' model in this context for parts of Yemen.