Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel in West Africa and the Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit in Somalia. History FEWS NET was created in response to the 1984 - 1985 famines in Sudan and Ethiopia, which resulted in the deaths of as many as 1 million people. From the beginning, the aim of the early warning system, then called "FEWS", was to anticipate impending famines and advise policy makers on how to prevent or mitigate such famines. In July 2000, the initiative's name was changed to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, or FEWS NET, to signal the importance of collaborating with and strengthening national local food security information systems. References External links FEWS NET homepage FEWS NET USGS early warning portal, United States Geological Survey FEWS NET NOAA early warning products National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Early Report on FEWS from SCIENCE, vol 239, 1988 International organizations based in the United States Famines Emergency organizations Organizations established in 1986 Hunger relief organizations 1986 establishments in the United States