The Congo: The Greater Tragedy

As the Congo's town politicians bickered and battled, few of them had a thought for a greater tragedy unfolding in the remote bush of South Kasai. There 300,000 pathetic Baluba tribesmen, hurled out of their homelands last year by the tribal fighting, huddled homeless and hungry in a harsh, inhospitable region where few crops grew. Now, unless massive help arrived soon, many of them faced death from sheer starvation. Nearly all the children suffered from the dread protein-deficiency disease called kwashiorkor, which shriveled limbs, swelled bellies and fouled the blood. Already, several thousand adults and children have died, and...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!