ICRC boosts south Somalia aid to help avert famine

GENEVA, Mar 17 (Reuters) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today boosted emergency assistance to help prevent famine among 1.2 million people in drought-hit southern Somalia.

Nearly four years of poor rainfall have triggered food and water shortages, dried up grazing lands and devastated cereal production in the southern region of the lawless country, the Swiss-based humanitarian agency said.

It said it would increase its 2006 Somali budget by 61 percent, to about 32 million dollars.

''Relief is being delivered to the most conflict-ridden areas in the southern part of the country in order to avert a potential famine,'' the ICRC said in a statement.

It said would deliver aid at least until the next harvest, in July, and may further boost aid if rains remain scarce.

Currently the ICRC is running more than 300 water, health, agricultural and veterinary projects in Somalia.

The United Nations estimates that at least 6.25 million people are in need of immediate food aid across east and central Africa, where drought has killed hundreds of people and tens of thousands of head of livestock.

REUTERS SHR KP2150