Peter Meiklem: £50m needed to avert triple African crisis

In the Horn of Africa – the eastern part of the continent including Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya – 12 million people face a chronic lack of food, sanitation and clean water, brought on to a large degree by the worst drought to hit the region in the past 60 years.

Oxfam Humanitarian director Jane Cocking – already working from the area – says the situation is "the worst food crisis of the 21st century". Many lives, she warns, could soon be lost if food and water does not reach the most vulnerable.

That is why Oxfam has launched an appeal for 50 million, asking the public to donate online, via the telephone, or in one of the charity's shops.

It is a lot of money – Oxfam's largest ever emergency appeal for Africa – and that indicates the sheer size of the challenge to be met.

Two successive poor rains have left the region drought-ridden, local people chronically hungry and livestock dead, sick or dying. With the earliest hope of rain coming in October, the situation is set to get worse over the coming months.

The epicentre of the drought straddles the borders of Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, where families rely heavily on livestock for survival. In some areas, more than half of their herds have died while the remainder are in poor condition.

Refugees coming out of Somalia into Kenya and Ethiopia have recorded acute and severe malnutrition levels – among the highest seen in recent decades.

Local markets are almost empty of staple foods, and rocketing prices for food and fuel are hampering the ongoing aid effort.

Although as many as 12 million people are under threat, Oxfam is asking for funding to help three million of the most vulnerable, providing clean water, basic sanitation, food schemes and veterinary support.

If a catastrophic crisis is to be averted, we must act now to ensure aid

is provided.

• Peter Meiklem is media officer at Oxfam Scotland