Oxfam appeals for $35.7 million for drought relief

International charity Oxfam appealed for 20 million pounds sterling (US $35.7 million) on Thursday to help an estimated 11 million people in eastern Africa who are in need of humanitarian assistance because of a prolonged regional drought.

The funds would be used to help communities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia. According to Oxfam, nomadic herding communities, which depend on their livestock for both food and income, are most at risk. More than 70 percent of livestock is already dead in many areas. Recent rainfall has increased the risk of disease and hampered the transportation of relief, the agency said.

"This crisis might be getting less attention than the tsunami did, but the number of people needing help is even greater," said Barbara Stocking, global director of Oxfam. "The severity of this crisis means assistance is needed on a huge scale."

The funds would finance emergency work, such as providing food and water, as well as longer-term projects so that people can rebuild their lives and avert future crises. "We want to help people across the region to recover and be in a better position when the next crisis hits," said Stocking.