Soaring food prices threaten disaster in East Africa

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM Jul 24 2008 16:26 The map will replace this text. If any users do not have Flash Player 8 (or above), they'll see this message. Soaring food prices are threatening to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in East Africa, where people are struggling to afford basic food, development charity Oxfam warned on Thursday. The British-based group appealed for funds to support emergency aid across the region, where it said millions face being tipped towards severe hunger in countries including Somalia and Ethiopia. "This is a catastrophe in the making. We have time to act to before it becomes a reality," said Oxfam's Rob McNeil, who recently returned from the region. Skyrocketing food prices are compounding long-term problems such as drought, conflict and poverty, said Oxfam, which estimates that between nine... [read full story]