The United Nations has declared a state of famine in some parts of southern Somalia where the worst drought in over half a century is already being blamed for thousands of deaths.<br /><br />An estimated 3.7 million people, or more than one-third of Somalia's population, is in need of emergency aid, the UN's food agency said on Wednesday.<br /><br />"Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine-affected areas," Mark Bowden, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator for Somalia, said.<br /><br />"It is likely that tens of thousands will already have died, the majority of those being children."<br /><br />The UN has appealed for $300m to help victims of the drought, and aid groups have criticised the slow response of many Western governments to fund the shortfall.<br /><br />Al Jazeera's Mohamad Adow reports from Nairobi, Kenya.
