East Africa drought: DEC appeals for funds

A group of UK aid agencies has launched a joint fund-raising appeal to help more than 10 million people affected by severe drought in the Horn of Africa.

Thousands of families in desperate need of food and water have trekked for days from Somalia to the Dadaab refugee camp in eastern Kenya.

The drought is the worst in East Africa for 60 years and the UN described it as a "humanitarian emergency".

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal will be broadcast by the BBC.

Comedian Lenny Henry will front the BBC TV appeal while broadcaster Kate Adie will voice the radio version.

The DEC said more than 1,300 people a day, the majority children, were arriving in the Dadaab camp - already thought to be the world's largest, with a population of 350,000.

"Slowly but surely, these people have seen their lives fall apart - crops, livestock and now their homes have been taken by the drought," DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley said.

"They've been left with no alternative but to seek shelter and lifesaving help elsewhere.

"We have a duty to help quickly before the situation spirals out of control."

The UK has pledged £38m ($61m) in food aid to drought-hit Ethiopia - enough to feed 1.3m people for three months.

The DEC appeal will help people in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan, which will officially separate from the Republic of Sudan on 9 July.

"Of course these people need a long-term solution with investment and political will - but right now it's about preventing a tragedy," said Mr Gormley.

Aid agencies, including the Kenyan Red Cross, the Somali Red Crescent and Action Aid, are being helped by local groups to access remote areas with food, water and medical treatment.