Climate Change? Magnitude of crisis hinders Somalia relief efforts

Somalia's government says it is making every effort to help refugees pouring into Mogadishu to escape the drought enveloping East Africa. The UN's Children's Fund began airlifting emergency supplies on Friday. But it will not reach all those in need just yet.

The UN's World Food Programme says it will not get into southern Somalia - the most affected region as yet due to the large scale, affecting "a million people", of the crisis and the large amount of organisation that this operation demands.

"We are literally on the discussion stage," said David Orr from the World Food Programme. Numerous appeals have been made to help the people of Somalia and the Horn of Africa in general. Some countries have made pledges to the UN but faced with hard economic times, many others may not be willing to commit anything at all.