I've always seen it as a logistical problem. With the Irish famine the British had a sophisticated world spanning logistical system that deliberately de-prioritized the Irish, even during an active famine that was a consequence of their own design. It's hard not to point fingers here when the culprit is obvious.

With modern famines it becomes more nuanced though imo. The logistical systems are not already in place like with Ireland, they are often built and sustained reactively, like a bridge during a storm. Some never "turn off" properly and undercut local farmers creating a stronger potential for future famines in the region. The solution isn't just allowing everyone to starve of course, but doing a better job at the follow-up work.

I'm not saying this is some impossible problem, just that it's a delicate one despite best intentions. Food grown in abundance in one region of the world might be rotting by the time it arrives where it's needed. While we have systems through the UN and non profits for this I still think we could do a lot better.