The famine in two southern regions of Somalia is spreading to other parts of the country, the United Nations said Monday while renewing an appeal for an additional 1.4 billion dollars to assist the victims. Valerie Amos, the UN emergency relief coordinator, said a "massive response" by the international community is needed to try to contain the worse famine in 60 years in the Horn of Africa. Amos said the situation is "dire and is getting worse" in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Eritrea with a total of 12.4 million affected by the persistent and severe drought. "Unless we provide a massive response, the famine will spread to five or six more regions (in Somalia)," dpa quoted Amos as saying upon returning from a visit in the region last week. She said "tens of thousands" of Somalis have died and hundreds of thousands of others are suffering from starvation. Amos said donor countries have pledged 1 billion dollars, but UN relief agencies need a further 1.4 billion dollars immediately because the famine has the potential of spreading to more regions in the Horn.
