And then, a century later we did this https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_famine_of_1943

An estimated 0.8–3.8 million people died, in the Bengal region (present-day Bangladesh and West Bengal), from starvation, malaria and other diseases aggravated by malnutrition, population displacement, unsanitary conditions, poor British wartime policies and lack of health care. Millions were impoverished as the crisis overwhelmed large segments of the economy and catastrophically disrupted the social fabric. … The financing of military escalation led to wartime inflation. The British “inflation policy” during World War II, which aimed to reduce the consumption of the poor to make more resources available for British and American troops, had played a major role in exacerbating the famine. This policy, along with other economic measures, led to a “forced transfer of purchasing power” from ordinary people to the military, and led to the diversion of food supplies and resources to support military operations, especially in the context of the ongoing war with Japan. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister at the time, has been criticized for his role in exacerbating the famine, Critics argue that Churchill’s refusal to divert food supplies to Bengal, despite the urgent need, and his decisions regarding war priorities significantly worsened the situation. Churchill’s government did not prioritize relief efforts adequately and was also slow to respond to the crisis