[Albert Barr]

I did not realize that the guy that took the picture committed suicide, or that he actually won a Pulitzer prize. In fact, that was the first time I saw the photo. It is an emotional photograph. The wikipedia article says he did chase the vulture off, but did nothing else to help the child. I guess that the true tragedy off all this is that most of the problems in Africa could be solved were it not for the corruption of African governments and the meddling of the French.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Well....my first reaction was not dissimilar to yours.  I was pissed off enough that I took the time to hunt down the story behind the photo.

I think the only comfort is that the photographer seems to have done all that he could do in the situation.  He doesn't appear to have been a soulless or dishonest man, as some photojournalists are, and he really couldn't have saved her....he was in a hopeless situation without the resources he needed.

And the photograph has fostered a lot of good: people who might otherwise remain callus to the misery of the world tend to get a wake up call from a picture that horrible.  Even if they can't do anything about it, the empathy created is a force for good.