ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – The United Nations on Wednesday called for $4 million to help over one million people suffering drought in Ethiopia’s Somali and Borena regions.

“More than one million people are currently facing critical water shortages due to poor consecutive seasonal performances in 2007 coupled with the current dry season,” the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

It said the money was needed to fund water, sanitation, health, livestock and agriculture programmes.

So far, Ethiopia’s military has dispatched 23,156 tonnes of food to five zones in the remote and arid Somali region, along the Horn of Africa nation’s border with Somalia, the statement said.

The United Nations is also seeking money to help fight water shortages for people and livestock in Borena, part of the Oromia region. Measles outbreaks had also been reported in parts of Oromia, OCHA said.

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