▁and ▁dis rupted ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁food st uff s ▁and ▁other ▁goods ▁throughout ▁the ▁country ▁– ▁with ▁dis astr ous ▁consequences . ▁During ▁the ▁war , ▁it ▁often ▁cost ▁more ▁to ▁transport ▁gra in ▁than ▁to ▁grow ▁it , ▁in ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁Iran . ▁All ▁this ▁made ▁the ▁living ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁poor ▁even ▁more ▁dread ful . ▁ ▁Sp read ▁ ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁severe ▁dr ought s ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁on ▁further ▁de ple ted ▁agricult ural ▁supplies . ▁By ▁early ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁the ▁fam ine ▁spread ▁throughout ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁pan icked ▁crow ds ▁in ▁major ▁cities ▁began ▁to ▁lo ot ▁b aker ies ▁and ▁food ▁stores . ▁In ▁the ▁western ▁city ▁of ▁K erm ans h ah , ▁confront ations ▁between ▁the ▁hun gry ▁poor ▁and ▁the ▁police ▁ended ▁in ▁cas ual ties . ▁In ▁Te h ran , ▁the ▁situation ▁was ▁" ag gra v ated ▁by ▁ho arding ▁and ▁short - s elling ▁to ▁the ▁customers ▁by ▁b akers ". ▁ ▁Ad ul ter ation ▁of ▁bread , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁ex or bit ant ▁prices ▁charged ▁by ▁some ▁b akers , ▁out rag ed ▁Te h ran ' s ▁working ▁poor . ▁Thus , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁printing - house ▁workers , ▁who ▁had ▁recently ▁formed ▁a ▁union , ▁st aged ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁in ▁Te h ran ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁during ▁which ▁crow ds ▁attacked ▁the ▁b aker