Famine likely to spread in East Africa, UN warns

Famine and drought conditions will spread further across East Africa, with Somalia''s situation set to deteriorate and experts spotting worrying trends in Uganda, United Nations officials warned on Tuesday. "By August-September, all regions of southern Somalia are likely to be facing famine," said Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba, a spokeswoman for the UN Refugee Agency. Stephanie Savariaud, with the UN World Food Programme, said Ugandan pastoralists were also facing tough times. "We are concerned about the impact of drought in the Karamoja region, in northern Uganda," said Savariaud. The UN''s original warning for the Horn of Africa said over 11.6 million people in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia could need humanitarian assistance owing to the severe drought. About 1 million people will likely be added to the total in need of help from international organizations. The UN declared an official famine in two regions of southern Somalia on July 20.