How did famine affect the outcome of the Babylonian rebellion?

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Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal — Ashurbanipal Ashurbanipal depicted in a lion hunt in an Assyrian relief from his northern palace in Nineveh; now in the British Museum.

During the rebellion led by Shamash-shum-ukin against his brother, the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, the city of Babylon was subjected to a three-year siege.12

As the conflict persisted, the famine within the city became increasingly intense. This severe food shortage caused the Arab tribesmen who had retreated into Babylon to support the rebellion to desert their positions. The resulting starvation and the inability of the coalition allies to effectively assist the besieged city ultimately contributed to the collapse of the rebellion in 648 BCE, leading to the fall of Babylon and the death of Shamash-shum-ukin.132