The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched an appeal for people suffering from the catastrophic drought in East Africa.

Advertisements will hit television screens tonight on all the major broadcasters appealing for donations for the 10 million people left in danger of dying as a result of the drought in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan.

Brendan Gormley, chief executive of the DEC, said: “Slowly but surely, these people have seen their lives fall apart – crops, livestock and now their homes have been taken by the drought.

“They’ve been left with no alternative but to seek shelter and life-saving help elsewhere. We have a duty to help quickly before the situation spirals out of control.”
The DEC said that a lack of funding has hampered agencies efforts to help those affected by the crisis. The United Nations target for its own appeal for the crisis is 40 per cent short.

The organisation said that its member charities will be seeking to plug the shortfall from a range of sources.