Worse drought in 60 years hits 10 mln in east Africa

Ten million people in the Horn of Africa have been hit by the worst drought in 60 years, with the situation deteriorating to the point of famine in some areas, the UN said Tuesday. "Over ten million people are affected by the drought in one way or other," said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "We believe that the drought situation in certain regions is the worst in 60 years. In several regions, we can speak of famine," she added. Countries affected include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.