(francais suivra) E.African drought ‘most catastrophic’ in generation:

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday labelled the drought in east Africa the worst catastrophe to hit the region in a generation, urging the world to take “urgent and decisive action”.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that what we are seeing today is the most catastrophic situation in that region for a generation,” he said during a press conference in Pretoria at the start of his African tour.

“Tens of thousnads may have died already, many of them children under five,” he said, urging the world to take “urgent and decisive action.”

Britain on Saturday promised 52 million pounds (59 million euro, 73 million dollars) in emergency aid, and Cameron urged other nations to follow suit.

“I would urge those who are still considering their responses to act without delay,” he said.

The Horn of Africa’s current drought is its worst in decades.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF estimates that more than two million children in the Horn of Africa region are malnourished and need urgent help, while some 500,000 of them face imminent, life-threatening conditions.