Overcrowded boats carrying more than 100 people trying to escape an approaching cyclone have capsized off the coast of Burma with dozens feared drowned.

THE drought and famine in Somalia have killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5, according to US estimates, the first time such a precise death toll has been released related to the Horn of Africa crisis.

AN Irish soldier has been deployed to Haiti as part of a major UN mission to help the stricken nation prepare for the impact of the hurricane.

The United Nations warned in a special report released today of an impending humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, saying nearly 70% of Palestinians are living in poverty as a result of Israeli policies and military operations.