As always, war and drought are driving the terrible conditions. And, as always, Europe, US and China keep selling (and giving) more and more military equipment to the region. In the West many like to throw the blame at Africa without ever bothering to look at how the West (and now China) contributes significantly to the problem. As long as we all have our lapdog government, everything is possible without any concern for what may be benefit the greater good. Add to that the free-market phonies who preach open markets but deliver destruction to local market and you have a serious problem. Food prices have increased beyond what is affordable to most. When you are living on less than $1 per day, massive price increases of anything becomes impossible.
It is the second serious drought in the region in three years, it says.
Oxfam is calling on donors to increase aid levels to the region.
The call follows another warning on Tuesday from the UN World Food Programme, saying that more than 14 million people in the Horn of Africa needed food aid because of drought and rising food and fuel prices.
"The cost of food has escalated by up to 500% in some places, leaving people who have suffered drought after drought in utter destitution," says Oxfam's Rob McNeil, who has just returned from the Somali and Afar regions of Ethiopia.
