Much of modern Africa struggles with poverty, famine, widespread disease, and violent conflict. The international community increasingly acknowledges the need to help Africa, and donor agencies and rich-nation governments have offered development assistance, food aid, and debt relief to the continent. But it is uncertain how effective this aid actually is, and how the world can best help African countries move toward self-sufficiency. Helping Africa Help Itself outlines various types of international aid and describes some of the organizations collecting and distributing it. The book explains such complex issues as debt relief, war crimes commissions, and Structural Adjustment Programs. Historical and political factors that have contributed to Africas present predicament are also examined.