1 9 1 9 ▁because ▁of ▁hung er ▁and ▁from ▁dise ases , ▁which ▁included ▁ch ol era , ▁pl ague ▁and ▁ty ph us , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁influen za ▁inf ected ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁flu ▁pan demic . ▁A ▁variety ▁of ▁factors ▁are ▁commented ▁to ▁have ▁caused ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁fam ine , ▁including ▁success ive ▁season al ▁dr ought s , ▁requ is ition ing ▁and ▁conf is cation ▁of ▁food st uff s ▁by ▁occup ying ▁arm ies , ▁spec ulation , ▁ho arding , ▁war ▁prof ite ering , ▁and ▁poor ▁har v ests . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁one ▁k har var ▁( 1 0 0 ▁kil os ) ▁of ▁whe at ▁increased ▁to ▁twenty ▁tom ans , ▁" if ▁there ▁[ was ] ▁any ▁to ▁be ▁found ", ▁after ▁the ▁total ▁gran ary ▁of ▁the ▁south - east ▁province ▁of ▁S istan ▁was ▁sold ▁off ▁to ▁the ▁British ▁troops . ▁Russian ▁troops ▁block aded ▁all ▁the ▁roads ▁in ▁the ▁north - east ▁province ▁of ▁K hor as an , ▁prohib iting ▁any ▁trans fers ▁of ▁gra in , ▁except ▁those ▁dest ined ▁for ▁the ▁Russian ▁army . ▁The ▁requ is ition ing ▁of ▁pack ▁animals , ▁m ules ▁and ▁cam els ▁for ▁the ▁oil ▁industry ▁in ▁Kh uz est an , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁Russian ▁armed ▁forces , ▁left ▁the ▁country ' s ▁transport ▁network ▁in ▁serious ▁dis array ,