"Prevention doesn't sell that much," said Stefanie Savariaud, spokeswoman for the UN World Food Program in Niger's capital, Niamey. "The world has to wait for images of dying children to react. The question is, how to mobilize the international community when it's still preventable?"
Ironically, only three weeks ago the world's attention was fixed on Africa again, when the G8 summit pledged to double African aid to US$50 billion and granted 18 of its countries debt forgiveness, including Niger. At the same time, rock concerts televised worldwide made sure Africa's troubles stayed high on the global agenda.
A week later, TV pictures of hungry people began beaming out of Niger and donors reached for their wallets.
But the World Food Program has only raised US$9 million of the US$16 million it appealed for, Savariaud said.
At a feeding center in Mada Roufa, in eastern Niger, Mai Sali, a local employee of the international relief organization Doctors Without Borders, praised those efforts, but agreed that crisis aid was not the answer.
"We need to find other long-term solutions. We can't just address emergencies," he said.
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