The trickle of images from Somalia - primarily of women and children - has turned into a flood over the past few weeks and there appears to be no end to it.

Somalia, with about 250000 people affected by famine, is Africa's 21st-century version of Ethiopia with painfully similar images of mass starvation.

But Ethiopia was 27 years ago and it appears we have learnt little since then.

According to the reports, the warning signs have been there all along that a massive food crisis was developing in the Horn of Africa. But no one - certainly not in Africa - listened to the aid agencies.

The United Nations estimates that Somalia will need $1-billion immediately, but less than $200-million has been forthcoming.

And, as before, it seems that Africa is once again waiting for the developed world to rescue one of its own, lending truth to the widely held belief that Africa is a basket case, incapable of feeding or providing security for its people.

Across our continent wars continue to rage, dictators hold onto their ill-gotten wealth and power for as long as they can at the expense of the citizens they are meant to lead.

But the scale of the human misery that afflicts this continent appears to be of limited concern to those in powerful organisations such as the African Union.

Where are the leaders of Africa? Why are we, yet again, waiting for the developed world to drop food parcels and for the UN to collect donations?

Peter Gill, author of Famine and Foreigners: Ethiopia Since Live Aid, wrote last week: "Sophisticated early warning systems that foresaw the onset of famine have been in place for years. But still the world waits until it is very nearly too late before taking real action - and then paying for it."