NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – United Nations officials say more than 14 million people across the Horn of Africa are relying on food aid and other assistance to survive this year’s drought and rising food prices.
The problems are especially dire in Ethiopia and Somalia.

Mark Bowden, the U.N.’s aid chief for Somalia, estimates that 3.5 million people_half  the country’s population _ will need assistance by the end of the year.

The world’s high food prices are threatening to push the total number of hungry people to 1 billion. A recent U.N. summit of 181 countries pledged to reduce trade barriers and boost agricultural production to reduce prices.

But droughts mean that Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya and Djibouti have been hit with a double blow regarding food.

Source: AP, July 22, 2008