But in its depth, Sudan's famine is extraordinary. Kate Almquist Much had changed when I returned in June to Tonj County, southern Sudan for the first time since late 1995. In 1995, I saw farmers testing new seed varieties, oxen learning to pull ploughs and health workers training to provide health care to their communities. When famine strikes African countries, images of emaciated people, dying animals and parched landscapes fill the television screens. Governments and private organizations spring into action to provide food and alleviate the suffering.
Crises make headlines.
People are saved. In the short term, problems are solved. The number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa facing food emergencies has increased from 13 to 20 since the beginning of 1997, according to a special report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization in November.