World Jewish Relief has launched an emergency appeal to assist the millions across the Horn of Africa facing severe food shortages.

The region's worst drought for 60 years has been compounded by increasing grain prices, fodder shortages, livestock deaths and conflict. An estimated eight million-plus people need urgent assistance.

"This is not a famine - yet," said WJR chief executive Paul Anticoni. "Decades of food assistance programmes in the region have enabled sophisticated early warning systems to forecast when severe food deficits are predicted.

"Now that the alarm bells are ringing, we have a responsibility to act and avert an even more complex emergency."