“In one year,” claims the magazine Newsweek, “as many as 1 million Ethiopian peasants and 500,000 Sudanese children died.” In Mozambique a hundred thousand people are reported to have perished, and for a time, a thousand died each month in Chad.

The world came to the rescue, but for countless Africans it was too late. In some cases the delay was caused by officials who concealed the true extent of the famine. The ignoring of hungry citizens contributed to the overthrow of the Sudanese government in 1985.

Shipments of surplus grain began pouring into Africa. Governments of Europe cooperated in an airlift of food deep into Sudan.

Though late, the world’s response to Africa’s need is said to have saved over three million lives! But, sadly, Africa is still short of food. According to recent reports, millions in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Mozambique face starvation.