DROUGHT has triggered extreme food shortages in three East African countries, putting millions of people at risk of famine as the lean dry season approaches, a humanitarian group said.

More than a million Ethiopian cattle herders face extreme food shortages after the failure of short rains that normally recharge water sources, a famine early warning group said today.

THE west African nation of Niger is suffering “an acute humanitarian crisis” in which children are dying because the world community has ignored appeals for urgent aid, the UN humanitarian chief said yesterday.

Poor rains and high crop prices have left more than 18 million people with serious food shortages in 10 African countries, a food security monitoring group said.

Nearly half the population of Zimbabwe is facing hunger and needs food assistance as the country's food emergency deepens, a famine early warning group reported today.