The failure of spring and autumn rains in Somalia has led to severe food shortages and put 300,000 people at immediate risk of starvation, the United Nations said today.
In a statement, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, Mr Kenzo Oshima, appealed to donors to "forestall a humanitarian crisis" in the East African country.
"An estimated 40,000 tonnes of food are needed urgently to assist 300,000 people at risk of immediate starvation," UN spokesman Mr Fred Eckhard said.
"At present, although the UN system is in a position to deliver food, stocks are depleted. An additional 450,000 people are increasingly vulnerable," he said.
Mr Eckhard said other relief supplies, notably water and medicines, were needed to "secure the well-being of tens of thousands of children at risk of malnutrition and disease."
Mr Randolph Kent, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said the food crisis had worsened since last month's terrorist attacks on the United States, which led to "a significant downturn" in remittances from workers abroad.
AFP