UN: Somalia facing worst drought in a decade

The U.N.'s aid chief for Somalia says the East African country faces the worst drought in at least a decade.

Mark Bowden says satellite surveys of rainfall and research on the ground indicate the drought will worsen the plight of a population already suffering from war and famine.

Bowden says the "need for humanitarian assistance is increasing dramatically."

Some 1.1 million Somalis have fled their homes due to fighting between Islamic insurgents and pro-government forces.

Bowden told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that already in some areas a quarter of children under five suffer from acute malnutrition.

He says local Somali elders have described the situation to the U.N. as "the worst crisis that they've seen in a very long time."

Source: AP