Letters: Jun. 26, 2006

The Deadliest War in the World Our reporting on the forgotten conflict in Congo and the enormous toll it has taken on the nation's inhabitants moved readers to share their sadness and pity. Many wondered how the devastation could have escaped the world's attention for so long, while others called for action to prevent further suffering

Thank you for drawing attention to the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, perhaps the world's most neglected humanitarian crisis [June 5]. Fewer than 2% of the deaths in the conflict are due to violent acts, while almost three-quarters are due to easily preventable infectious diseases and malnutrition. Our survey, which was mentioned in your story, found that when security is assured, death rates plummet. Halting the fighting would allow medical clinics to function, food production to recommence, markets to operate and people to return home from unsanitary refugee camps. The impact on public health is clear: tens of thousands of lives could be saved every month. But as you rightly observe, the political will does not exist to increase the peacekeeping force to a level that would make that possible. It is a shame that the decision to allocate resources in a crisis is too often based on political considerations rather than humanitarian need. RICHARD J. BRENNAN, M.D. INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE New York City ----------------- BENJAMIN COGHLAN, M.D. BURNET INSTITUTE Melbourne, Australia

It is wrenching to see the people of a vast and resourceful country suffer such malnutrition, disease and terror while the U.S. and the rest of the world blithely go their own way. You have opened our eyes; now we have to open our hearts. KURT FREY Cheshire, Conn.

My first trip to Congo was in August 1998, just days before the current war began, and I have seen the infrastructure and essential services decline ever since. How could we, the civilized world, allow this war to consume 3.9 million innocent lives? Even worse, why are so few people talking about it and even fewer doing something about it? WOODY M. COLLINS Indianapolis, Ind.

I am worried about the impact of James Nachtwey's photos of anguished Congolese. There is a heroism about the images, but there is also a romantic artistry that blunts the pain, and they suggest too strongly the presence of attentive helpers. We Americans know far too little about Africa and pay too little attention. But would we turn so blind an eye to the death, in less than a decade, of 6% of our own population at the hands of warring parties? I hope not. DOUG WATSON Shawnee, Okla.

Your cover story on Congo was a heartbreaking reminder of yet another area of our world where suffering reigns supreme. When I had finished studying the photographs, I turned to the next story--about the complex surgery performed on the injured racehorse Barbaro. Why is it that we are willing to spend many thousands of dollars on a finely tuned animal yet virtually ignore the scope of human need? The contrast is mind boggling. LYNN MARK St. Louis, Mo.