Severe Drought Hits Somalia

Hungry mothers queue with malnourished children at a health center in Mogadishu, as Somalia struggles to cope with its worst drought in decades.

Many Somalis were forced to flee to the capital where the government has set up camps.

But with limited food supplies, more and more cases of malnutrition are being recorded.

At this health center for internally displaced persons, people queue for hours for medical attention.

According to aid agencies, one in 10 children in parts of Somalia are at risk of starving to death.

The United Nations says it is struggling to keep up with an exodus of hungry refugees heading for Kenya and Ethiopia.

On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI called for international help for the victims of drought and rain in the region.

More than 11 million people in the Horn of Africa now need assistance to survive the crisis sparked by the drought.

Foto: NTD