In recent times, predictable, recurring droughts induced famine and related disaster in Eastern and Southern Africa. International and bilateral donors, including the United States (US), have pumped billions of dollars into sometimes "band aid" solutions, which save some lives, but do little to break the cycle of expenditures and misery. Assistance efforts frequently promote donor-dependency among the aid recipients. Many of the affected areas and populations lack basic development, such as transportation, food storage options, alternative income opportunities, medical services, physical security and potable water. When drought intensifies, significant dislocations of people occurs. Refugee camps spring up, often in very remote, hostile places where it is difficult to deliver and administer needed assistance. Water, food, shelter and medical supplies become critical support factors and major expense items. a "successful relief operation" can contain seeds of irony by creating "temporary" camps that may well outlast the conditions of the natural or man-made disaster. Competition between refugee camps and local populations for surrounding or imported resources can cause significant socioeconomic, environmental, and political disruption. in view of these chronic secondary problems associated with repeated "crisis management" methods to handle predictable problems of this nature, investments in disaster planning and mitigation efforts seem quite sensible.