Interior minister appeals for humanitarian aid

Djibouti's home affairs minister, Yacin Elmi Bouh, has urged his compatriots and aid agencies to help people suffering from drought-related food shortages in the Horn of Africa country, the official news agency reported. Rural populations were most severely affected by the food and water shortages, the Agence Djiboutienne d'Information (ADI) quoted the minister as saying on Monday. Recurring drought in Djibouti had put the lives of between 47,000 and 60,000 people at risk, the minister said. The delayed onset of the October-February rainy season in Djibouti has led to heightened food insecurity in pastoral areas due to lack of grazing land and water. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network reported last month that milk production and livestock sales were far below average seasonal levels. Severe drought conditions in the Horn of Africa threaten the lives of an estimated 11 million people in the region, according to humanitarian agencies. The affected countries are Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya.